Abu Dhabi: The UAE Ministry of Investment and the World Bank signed a partnership framework to strengthen the UAE’s investment climate and cement its status as a world-class hub for foreign direct investment. At the heart of the partnership is a shared commitment to ensuring the UAE’s investment environment remains predictable, transparent, and internationally competitive, and fully aligned with the country’s long-term ambitions.

The partnership, which falls under the framework agreement signed between the World Bank and the UAE Ministry of Finance in 2019, was signed by Mohammad Abdulrahman Alhawi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Investment, and Boutheina Guermazi, World Bank Director for Strategy and Operations for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAAP) region.

The partnership will enable the World Bank to apply its knowledge and experience to advance a comprehensive investment reform agenda and deepen the institutional foundations required to attract, retain and maintain quality investments, while ensuring the UAE is well-positioned to seize opportunities in an evolving global investment landscape.

Mohammad Abdulrahman Alhawi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Investment, said: “Building on the longstanding collaboration between the UAE and the World Bank, and anchored in the 2019 framework agreement with the Ministry of Finance, this partnership reaffirms our ambition to position the UAE as a strategic gateway for global investment. Entering the world's top 10 FDI destinations in 2024 was a milestone, and our ambition is to double annual FDI by 2031 to reach US$65 billion. We remain committed to an investment climate that is ever more transparent, predictable, and competitive.”

"This partnership reflects the World Bank's commitment to supporting the UAE in building a world-class investment environment," said Boutheina Guermazi, World Bank Director for Strategy and Operations for MENAAP. " By combining global expertise with locally tailored solutions, we aim to help the UAE attract and retain high-quality investment that drives inclusive and sustainable economic growth."

This partnership advances the UAE's strategic vision to establish itself as a leading global destination for investment, as outlined in its National Investment Strategy. By deepening institutional collaboration frameworks with key partners like the World Bank, the UAE is strengthening the foundation needed to continue attracting and retaining transformative capital, accelerate economic diversification, and sustain its momentum as one of the world's most dynamic and globally connected investment destinations.