Abu dhabi: Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade and Chairman of the UAE International Investment Council (UAEIIC), convened the third board meeting of the Council to review progress on key initiatives and advance the Council's outward investment agenda for the remainder of 2026, including practical mechanisms for mobilising Emirati capital into strategically important markets.
According to Emirates News Agency, the meeting highlighted two products developed by the UAEIIC to support its members operating internationally. The first is the Council's FDI Dashboard, which provides a comprehensive overview of the global investment landscape and enables users to explore investment trends across countries, sectors, investors, investment types, and time periods, with insights into investment values, deal activity, and future pipelines. The platform also provides access to downloadable country-level reports with UAE outward investment data.
The second product is the suite of UAEIIC's Investment Potential Reports, offering a data-driven assessment of the most promising investment opportunities for the UAE in priority international markets. These reports identify sectors that align with UAE investment interests and have significant growth potential, assessing market landscape, growth outlook, key opportunities, and overall attractiveness. Drawing on data from official and open sources, the analysis considers factors including market size, demand, policy support, competitiveness, and investment activity, providing a robust evidence base to help identify and prioritise high-potential opportunities.
Al Zeyoudi stated that the Council is equipping UAEIIC members with the data, intelligence, and market insights they need to deploy capital strategically into high-potential markets worldwide. With the FDI Dashboard and Investment Potential Reports, the UAEIIC is building institutional capability that connects its members with actionable opportunities unlocked by the growing network of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) and strategic partnerships. The UAEIIC is transitioning from institution-building to execution, and the tools presented reflect that shift.
The CEPA programme, a key part of the UAE's foreign trade agenda, has reached 38 agreements since its launch in September 2021, with 18 now in force. Non-oil foreign trade reached AED1.937 trillion (US$527.5 billion) in the first half of 2026, underscoring the growing commercial foundation available to UAE outward investors.