$63.353bn — UAE outward FDI flows in 2025
UAE outbound foreign direct investment reached $63.353 billion in 2025, according to UNCTAD figures cited by WAM.
· Last verified: 6 Oct 2026 (ZAWYA / WAM (Emirates News Agency), UNCTAD)
Summary
- UAE outbound foreign direct investment reached $63.353 billion in 2025, according to UNCTAD figures cited by WAM.
- Accumulated outward FDI stock stands at $402.729 billion, up from $55.560 billion in 2010.
- The portfolio spans six continents, anchoring Abu Dhabi's funds in North America, Africa and Asia.
The latest
Outbound foreign direct investment from the UAE totalled $63.353 billion in 2025, with the country's cumulative outward stock reaching $402.729 billion by year-end, according to UN Trade and Development data reported by Emirates News Agency. Fahad Al Gergawi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, said the country has built a geographically diversified investment presence stretching into South and Central America and Africa.
Details
- The headline figure: UNCTAD data put UAE outward FDI flows at $63.353 billion for 2025. Measured against global FDI flows of $1.6 trillion the same year, cited in UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2026, that places Emirati outbound capital at roughly 4% of all investment moving across borders worldwide.
- The long arc: The outward FDI stock — the accumulated value of holdings abroad rather than a single year's flow — stood at $402.729 billion at the end of 2025, against $55.560 billion in 2010, more than a sevenfold increase across 15 years.
- Where Mubadala sits: North America accounts for 44% of Mubadala Investment Company's portfolio, covering technology, energy and industry, with more than 80 direct investments and $170 billion in assets under management. Europe represents 15%, Asia-Pacific 13%, and Latin America and the Caribbean 1%.
- ADIA's allocation bands: The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority works to strategic ranges rather than fixed weights: 45% to 60% for North America, 15% to 30% for Europe, 10% to 20% for emerging markets and 5% to 10% for developed Asia. The bands leave wide room to shift between regions.
- Ports as the physical footprint: DP World operates in more than 80 countries through a network of over 590 business units. AD Ports Group had offices in more than 50 countries by the end of 2025, running 34 ports and terminals inside the UAE and internationally.
- The Africa claim: Al Gergawi said the UAE had become the largest investor in Africa over the past four years, crediting the country's network of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements. He did not break down the African investment figures by country or sector.
- Sectors covered: The portfolio spans energy, infrastructure, ports and logistics, technology, artificial intelligence, industry, real estate, financial services and healthcare, according to the agency report. No ranking of sectors by value was published.
- Private capital alongside sovereign: Dawood Al Shezawi, Chairman of AIM Global Foundation, said Emirati capital had grown more sophisticated and globally distributed, with sovereign wealth funds and family offices taking long-term strategic positions in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
- Regional framing: Dr. Khaled Hanafy, Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Chambers, described the UAE as a leading investment model, directing its own capital into Arab and international markets while continuing to draw inbound investment from around the world.
Background
Outward FDI measures capital a country's firms and funds place abroad, distinct from investment arriving at home. The UAE's two largest state investors, ADIA and Mubadala, dominate those flows, with DP World and AD Ports carrying the operational infrastructure side.
Between the lines
The allocation figures point to a portfolio still weighted toward developed markets even as officials emphasise the global south. North America alone takes 44% of Mubadala's book and up to 60% of ADIA's strategic range, while Latin America sits at 1% of Mubadala's portfolio. The Africa and Southeast Asia positions described by Al Gergawi and Al Shezawi are being built from a comparatively small base, which is why the trade agreements framework carries the explanatory weight in official messaging.
What's next
Watch for UNCTAD's next World Investment Report for 2026 flow data, further Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements signed with African states, and annual disclosures from ADIA and Mubadala on regional allocation shifts.