Dubai continues to solidify its position at the forefront of the global creative economy, showcasing its ability to transform culture and creativity into a growing economic and investment force. For the fourth consecutive year, the emirate secured the number one spot worldwide for attracting new foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in creative and cultural industries for 2025, according to data from the Financial Times – FDI Markets, a global authority on tracking new FDI projects.
In 2025, Dubai successfully attracted 754 new projects in the cultural and creative industries, leading a ranking of 233 global cities, outpacing London, Singapore, Riyadh, and Bangalore. This achievement highlights the emirate’s robust investment and cultural ecosystem, which effectively draws businesses, investors, entrepreneurs, and talent from around the world.
A Global Cultural Hub
This latest accomplishment aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, aimed at establishing Dubai as a global cultural hub and a nurturing ground for creativity, talent, and a diverse, sustainable economy built on knowledge and innovation.
An Integrated Creative Economy
In this context, Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chair of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, articulated that Dubai’s continued leadership in global investment indicators for cultural and creative industries reflects the successful strategic vision in developing an integrated creative economy. She stated, “Dubai has established a pioneering model through its wise leadership and unique approach that continually transforms creativity into economic value, talents into projects, and ideas into investment opportunities and sustainable developmental gains. This enhances its global competitiveness and solidifies its presence as a magnetic investment hub for entrepreneurs and skilled talents from around the world.”
She further noted that the flexibility of regulations, advanced infrastructure, and a supportive business environment for innovation have bolstered investor confidence in Dubai’s capacity to provide a dynamic economic and cultural framework that adapts to and anticipates global shifts and opens new avenues for investment and growth.
Numbers That Confirm Leadership
According to the Financial Times – FDI Markets and the Dubai Cultural Statistics Framework, Dubai’s attraction of 754 new projects in the creative industries sector far exceeded London’s 227 projects, Singapore’s 197 projects, Riyadh’s 157 projects, and Bangalore’s 132 projects. This performance contributed to an increase in total capital flows from new foreign direct investment projects in the sector to $3.756 billion, alongside the creation of 19,304 new job opportunities.
Moreover, Dubai maintained its position as the second globally in the FDI capital inflows index for the sector. These results underscore the emirate’s strong performance in the sub-sectors within its cultural and creative industries, further reinforcing its status as a global cultural centre, a cradle for creativity, and a meeting point for talents.
Focus on Artificial Intelligence
This growth is in line with Dubai’s strategies and efforts aimed at enhancing economic diversity, spearheading the expansion of foreign direct investment projects across various sub-sectors. Notably, the advertising and public relations sector, specialised programming services, data processing and digital services, film production, media and gaming, along with AI-supported creative technologies, have all seen remarkable development. Other areas such as creative education, professional services, design and architecture, performing arts, recreational activities, museums and historical sites, and logistical services that support cultural and creative industries further illustrate Dubai’s capability to develop a resilient creative economy compatible with rapid transformations and enhancing global competitiveness.
Investments from Leading Global Markets
The investment landscape in this sector reflects an expansive network of economic relations that Dubai maintains with vital global markets. In particular, India topped the list of countries contributing new FDI flows into Dubai’s cultural and creative industries in 2025, accounting for 19%, followed closely by the United States at 17.5%, China at 13%, Malaysia at 12%, and the United Kingdom at 9%. When it comes to the number of projects, the UK’s share was 21.5%, with India following closely at 21%, then the US at 14% and France at 4%, indicating Dubai’s successful partnerships with primary markets across Asia, Europe, and North America.
A Competitive and Attractive Investor Environment
Dubai’s strong performance in attracting new FDI projects in the cultural and creative industries during 2025 is underpinned by a competitive and appealing investor environment that incorporates full foreign ownership, ease of business establishment, and specialized areas focusing on creative and technological sectors. Long-term residency paths for talents, coupled with advanced digital and logistical infrastructure and accessibility to regional and global markets, have also played a vital role. These elements, supported by Dubai’s Economic Agenda ‘D33’ and the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy, have collectively attracted investments across core cultural activities and various aspects of the creative value chain, including digital services, programming, advertising, business support, distribution, and creative commerce.
Vision for the Future
Hala Saeed Al Marri, Director General of the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, remarked, “Dubai’s top ranking as a global destination for attracting new FDI projects in the cultural and creative industries for the fourth consecutive year underscores the success of our visionary leadership and reflects the deep trust the city commands among investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators worldwide. This achievement stems from a dynamic ecosystem where creativity, advanced technology, and entrepreneurship converge to create sustainable economic value, generate quality job opportunities, and open new avenues for growth.”
She added that this achievement also exemplifies the strength of the partnerships between the public and private sectors, continually fostering new opportunities in digital content, video games, artificial intelligence, design, and specialised creative services. These outcomes significantly contribute to achieving the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and reinforce Dubai’s status as a leading global destination for business, investment, and innovation.
A Resilient Creative Ecosystem
Additionally, Hala Badri, General Director of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, noted that the results achieved by Dubai in foreign direct investment indicators demonstrate the readiness and maturity of its creative ecosystem, showcasing its flexibility and ability to generate new economic opportunities that align with the aspirations of investors and the creative community. She stated, “Dubai has successfully cultivated its creative sector into a vital economic contributor that demonstrates high growth potential and sustainability, grounded in a supportive environment that nurtures ideas, ambitions, and creative projects, effectively empowering talents and entrepreneurs to develop and scale their businesses.”
These insights underscore the significance of Dubai’s efforts to forecast cultural sector trends and develop high-impact initiatives that contribute to enriching the cultural scene while assuring that the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority remains committed to providing inspiring environments that encourage collaboration and knowledge exchange to transform projects into sustainable economic value.
The index results illustrate the accelerated transformation of Dubai’s creative economy, expanding core cultural sectors to include future-oriented industries linked to digital content, creative technology, artificial intelligence, and data-driven services. This evolution significantly enhances the emirate’s capacity to adapt to global changes, attracting companies and talent seeking flexible and growth-oriented environments. The outcomes also reaffirm Dubai’s success in establishing itself as a global platform for businesses and investments in cultural and creative industries, empowered by an advanced communication network, a developed business environment, and infrastructure that facilitates access to regional and international markets, allowing creative companies to expand, forge new partnerships, and leverage opportunities within future creative sectors.