Excerpt: The UAE has ranked first in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for the fifth year running.
The UAE has held its top position in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2025-2026 report for the fifth year in a row, outperforming many advanced economies and confirming its standing as the world’s most supportive environment for starting and scaling a business. The results were announced by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism in late April.
The GEM report is one of the world’s leading references for measuring entrepreneurial activity. The 2025-2026 edition covers 53 economies, representing around 43 percent of the global population and 57 percent of global GDP, with data drawn from over 160,000 adults and more than 2,000 national experts.
The UAE ranked first among high-income economies across eight indicators: Physical Infrastructure, Government Policy on Support and Relevance, Government Policy on Taxes and Bureaucracy, Government Entrepreneurial Programmes, Research and Development Transfers, Ease of Entry in terms of Market Dynamics, Ease of Entry in terms of Regulatory Burdens, and Entrepreneurial Education. The country also ranked second globally in Entrepreneurial Finance and Ease of Access to Entrepreneurial Finance.
The UAE is one of only four countries worldwide, alongside India, Lithuania, and Saudi Arabia, to have met or exceeded sufficiency across all 13 entrepreneurial framework conditions measured by the report.
UAE Leads Eight Key Indicators Among High-Income Economies
The National Entrepreneurial Context Index score for 2025 came in at 7.0, reflecting strong confidence among business owners and investors in the quality and integration of the country’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. Over 20 percent of adults in the UAE are currently engaged in entrepreneurial activity. The Total Early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity rate stood at 19.2 percent, with participation at 19.6 percent among nationals and 22.4 percent among residents.
The report noted that the UAE is among only six countries where entrepreneurs unanimously consider artificial intelligence to be critically important to business over the next three years. Alongside Taiwan, Norway, and Sweden, the UAE received an “Excellent” rating in both the Sustainability Priorities Index and the AI Awareness Index.
On international access, the UAE ranked among the top five countries globally for startups’ ability to reach overseas markets, supported by advanced logistics and infrastructure networks that connect local entrepreneurs to global consumers.
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, said the ranking reflects the UAE leadership’s focus on entrepreneurship as a pillar of the national economy. “This achievement reflects the directives of our wise leadership, which has placed entrepreneurship and support for small and medium enterprises at the forefront of national priorities, recognising them as a key pillar in building a competitive, knowledge-based economy driven by innovation,” he said.
He pointed to the recently launched national campaign, “The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World,” as part of efforts to position the country as the leading destination for global talent and entrepreneurs. He added that the results align with the objectives of the “We the UAE 2031” vision, which targets high-growth sectors including technology, AI, renewable energy, space, and financial technology.
The report also highlighted the UAE’s strong support for women entrepreneurs, a growing entrepreneurial culture rooted in community and family networks, and an education system increasingly focused on developing creative thinking and problem-solving at school level.
