Dubai Retains Global Top Spot for Creative -Industry Investment

Dubai has been ranked as the world's number one destination for greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) in the cultural and creative industries for 2025 — its fourth consecutive year holding the top spot.  

In 2025 alone, Dubai attracted 754 new greenfield projects in the sector, bringing in AED13.83 billion in FDI capital and generating over 19,300 new jobs. The sectors covered are broad: advertising, PR, specialized computer programming, digital services, film, media, gaming, AI-powered creative technologies, design, architecture, and entertainment. 

The reasons cited for this sustained lead are structural rather than one-off: flexible legislation, advanced infrastructure, and a business environment built to support innovation.

Dubai isn't treating this as a finish line. Under its Cultural Strategy 2033, the emirate is targeting more than 6,000 international creatives and aiming to lift the sector's contribution to GDP to 5.4 percent.

For businesses in advertising, media, gaming, design, or creative technology considering a Middle East base, this ranking is a strong external validation point: Dubai's regulatory and infrastructure environment is consistently rated the most competitive globally in this space, ahead of well-established hubs like London and Singapore. Combined with a stated growth target through 2033, the signal is that the window for early-mover advantage in Dubai's creative economy remains open. 

At OGMC, we help companies evaluate exactly this kind of market data as part of planning a move or expansion into the Gulf region, and translate it into a concrete entry strategy.