UAE enhances its position as hub for major corporate headquarters

ABU DHABI In 2025, major corporations continued to expand and position themselves in the UAE, strengthening the country's position as a leading global business platform

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The UAE has entrenched its position as a major destination for global companies seeking regional or global headquarters, benefiting from a sophisticated legislative system, advanced digital and financial infrastructure, and its geographic location linking Asian, African, and European markets.

In 2025, major corporations continued to expand and position themselves in the UAE, strengthening the country's position as a leading global business platform.

Global economic reports released this year confirmed that the UAE is one of the most attractive markets for foreign direct investment. The country ranked second among emerging markets in the Kearney Foundation's “FDI Confidence Index 2025" report, and was also ranked among the most competitive countries in the “World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025” issued by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).

The year 2025 witnessed the announcement of several major companies establishing new headquarters in the UAE, or the completion of the process of relocating their headquarters, including PayPal, which in April 2025 opened its regional headquarters in Dubai, its first in the Middle East and Africa, serving more than 80 markets in the region and Veon, the Nasdaq-listed global telecommunications company, moved its global headquarters to Dubai, becoming one of the largest global companies headquartered in Dubai. Partners Group, a global private equity firm, opened a regional office in Abu Dhabi in June 2025.