The UAE is one of the world’s most attractive investment destinations, and continues to encourage private sector growth and foreign investment. With policies enabling economic diversification, catalyzed by the country’s notable investment climate, the UAE is well-placed as a global capital for entrepreneurship. At the helm of the country’s efforts to ensure economic growth is the UAE Ministry of Economy, and, with its Investment Department, the ministry also seeks to accelerate trade and investment.

The Investment Department consolidates the UAE’s multi-faceted approaches to support and incentivize investors and entrepreneurs, while also continually exploring ways to improve the UAE’s trade and investment ecosystem – with an overarching goal to make the UAE the best and globally unparalleled investment icon, across numerous sectors of investment opportunities. Guiding the Investment Department’s work is a set of roles and responsibilities as follows:

The Investment Department shall work under the remit of the Foreign Trade Sector, and in accordance with the decision of the UAE Cabinet, shall implement the following terms of reference:

1. Provide an attractive investment environment,and coordinate the efforts of the competent federal authority in this field by monitoring and evaluating the performance of foreign investments in the State and working to overcome challenges encountered by the investment projects.
2. Consolidate and streamline procedures for registration and licensing of foreign investment projects, in coordination with relevant UAE government entities.
3. Provide a comprehensive range of support to investors, receive and assess requests from foreign investors, based on the initial approval of the relevant authority, facilitate settlement of disputes that may arise between the investor and the relevant government entity concerning registration, licensing and operations of the investment project.
4. Prepare reports and studies, and publish investment data and information about the investment environment as well as investment activities in the country periodically, while also identifying pros and cons, and making appropriate recommendations to address such challenges.
5. Determine the legal framework for investment, based on the legislation issued in this regard.
6. Prepare a database on UAE investments abroad.
7. Formulate the UAE investment policy, in coordination with other departments in the Ministry and relevant UAE government entities.
8. Any other functions related to the nature of management work or assigned by the Foreign Trade Sector Assistant Undersecretary.