Dubai ranks first globally for cultural and creative industry FDI projects for fourth year

Published: 26 August 2026 · 19:47 GST · Updated: 29 August 2026

Dubai ranked first in the world for the number of new (greenfield) foreign direct investment projects in the cultural and creative industries for the fourth consecutive year, according to fDi Markets data published by Financial Times Ltd. The emirate attracted 754 projects in 2025, which created 19,304 new jobs and brought in $3.756 billion in greenfield FDI capital — second globally for capital inflows.

The result was announced by the Dubai Media Office on 25 August 2026 and carried by the state news agency WAM.

How Dubai compares

The fDi Markets data covers 233 cities. Dubai’s 754 projects put it ahead of London (227), Singapore (197), Riyadh (157) and Bengaluru (132).

By source of capital, India accounted for 19 per cent of greenfield FDI capital inflows, followed by the United States (17.5 per cent), China (13 per cent), Malaysia (12 per cent) and the United Kingdom (9 per cent). By number of projects, the UK led with 21.5 per cent, ahead of India (21 per cent), the US (14 per cent) and France (4 per cent).

Which fields the jobs sit in

Investment was spread across advertising and public relations, specialised computer programming, data processing and digital services, film, media and gaming, AI-powered creative technologies, creative education, professional services, design and architecture, crafts and cultural industries, performing arts and entertainment, museums and heritage sites, and logistics services supporting the creative sector.

Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, said the growth is increasingly driven by “industries connected to digital content, creative technology, artificial intelligence, and emerging creative services”. Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture, said the figures show the sector’s growing ability to generate opportunities for investors, creatives and entrepreneurs.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said the continued flow of new projects reflects investor confidence, supported by “world-class connectivity and a future-ready business environment”.

The policy backdrop

The performance is framed by the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy, alongside enablers such as full foreign ownership, specialised creative and technology clusters, long-term residency pathways for talent, and business setup services offered through Invest in Dubai.

What it means for jobseekers

The 19,304 figure is the job creation attributed to the 2025 greenfield projects in the fDi Markets dataset — it is not a forecast of open vacancies today, and the data is not broken down by employer. For anyone tracking Dubai creative industry jobs, the practical signal is hiring at newly established studios, agencies, production and gaming companies, event businesses and creative-tech firms as these projects come online. Always verify a vacancy against the employer’s own careers page or an official announcement before applying.

Sources

• Dubai Media Office — Dubai tops global ranking in new FDI projects in cultural and creative industries for 4th consecutive year (25 August 2026)
• WAM (Emirates News Agency) — official announcement (25 August 2026)
• Gulf News — Dubai ranks first globally for cultural, creative industry FDI projects for fourth year (25 August 2026)
• Zawya — Dubai tops global ranking in new FDI projects in cultural, creative industries (26 August 2026)
• fDi Markets, Financial Times Ltd — underlying greenfield FDI dataset

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