UAE Tops Global Entrepreneurship Rankings for Fifth Straight Year
The country posted strong results in the quality of its entrepreneurship environment, scoring 7.0 in the National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI) for 2025, which measures the quality of a country’s entrepreneurial environment based on expert assessments.
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The UAE has ranked first globally for the fifth consecutive year in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Report 2026/2026, maintaining its position as one of the world’s most supportive environments for startups and entrepreneurs.
The country outperformed several advanced economies and remained the top country for starting and operating new businesses.
Among high-income economies, the UAE ranked first in eight key areas, including physical infrastructure, government policies in terms of support and relevance, tax and bureaucracy-related policies, government entrepreneurship programs, research and development transfer, ease of market entry in terms of dynamics, ease of entry in terms of regulatory burdens, and entrepreneurial education. It also ranked second globally in entrepreneurial finance and ease of access to funding.
The UAE was also among only four countries globally that reached the “sufficiency” level across all entrepreneurship framework conditions of the entrepreneurship index.
The country posted strong results in the quality of its entrepreneurship environment, scoring 7.0 in GEM’s National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI) for 2025, which measures the quality of a country’s entrepreneurial environment based on expert assessments.
According to the report, the UAE is among only six countries where entrepreneurs agree artificial intelligence will be critical over the next three years. It received an “excellent” rating in sustainability and AI awareness alongside Taiwan, Norway, and Sweden.
The UAE also ranked among the top five countries globally for “international access,” reflecting startups’ ability to reach external markets through strong infrastructure and logistics.
Business activity remained high, with more than 20% of adults involved in starting new businesses. The UAE’s Total Early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) rate reached 19.2%, while entrepreneurial activity stood at 19.6% among citizens and 22.4% among residents.
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The UAE has ranked first globally for the fifth consecutive year in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Report 2026/2026, maintaining its position as one of the world’s most supportive environments for startups and entrepreneurs.
The country outperformed several advanced economies and remained the top country for starting and operating new businesses.
Among high-income economies, the UAE ranked first in eight key areas, including physical infrastructure, government policies in terms of support and relevance, tax and bureaucracy-related policies, government entrepreneurship programs, research and development transfer, ease of market entry in terms of dynamics, ease of entry in terms of regulatory burdens, and entrepreneurial education. It also ranked second globally in entrepreneurial finance and ease of access to funding.
Entrepreneur Middle East Staff
Entrepreneur Staff
