The UAE ranks first globally in entrepreneurship for the fourth consecutive year.

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism 

The UAE ranks first globally in entrepreneurship for the fourth consecutive year.

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, stated that the UAE continues to solidify its leading position in international indicators.

"It ranked first globally for the fourth consecutive year in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2024-2025 report. It also led the region in venture capital deals in 2025, according to the Magnitt report (a data platform specializing in venture capital), and ranked fifth in the Global Competitiveness Report 2025. 

Furthermore, it ranked 11th globally in the Digital Competitiveness Index. Additionally, 32 UAE companies were included in Forbes Middle East's annual list of the 100 strongest Arab family businesses for 2025," according to statements made by the UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism during his speech at the UAE International Press Conference 2025.

He noted that the number of registered national and international trademarks in the UAE reached 402,311 by the end of September 2025. An additional 19,957 national and international trademarks were registered during the first half of this year, representing a growth rate of 129 percent compared to 8,711 trademarks in the first half of 2024.

Abdullah bin Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, stated that 2024 saw a rise in the total number of national and international trademark registration applications, reaching 33,874 compared to 31,288 in 2023. The number of registered trademarks also more than doubled during the same year, reaching 31,535 compared to 16,712 in 2023.

Regarding intellectual property, the number of registered works in 2024 reached 2,763 compared to 2,143 in 2023. Recent indicators also show increasing growth in the country's industrial property sector, with the number of patent and utility certificate applications rising to 3,622 in 2024, compared to 3,415 in 2023.

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri also mentioned that the UAE's hotels welcomed more than 16.1 million guests during the first six months of this year. With a growth of 5.5 percent compared to the same period in 2024, the number of hotel occupancy nights rose to 56 million, a 7.3 percent increase, with an average length of stay of 3.5 nights. The country boasts 1,243 hotel establishments offering more than 216,000 rooms.

Hotel revenues in the UAE also increased to AED 26.1 billion during the first half of this year, a 6.3 percent rise compared to the same period last year. The hotel occupancy rate reached 80.5 percent during the first six months of this year. The contribution of the tourism and travel sector to the UAE's GDP is projected to reach AED 257.3 billion (USD 70.1 billion) in 2024, representing 13 percent of the national economy, a 3.2 percent increase compared to 2023.

It is worth noting that the UAE Government Media Office organized the "UAE International Press Conference" on Wednesday, the first such event held during the UAE Government Annual Meetings. A number of ministers and more than 200 journalists and media representatives from major local, regional, and international media outlets attended the conference.

The conference served as an open dialogue between the UAE government and various media outlets to highlight the most prominent developments, trends, and government achievements in vital sectors and national issues.

The conference also provided a comprehensive overview of key areas related to investment, energy, artificial intelligence, and the country's foreign aid, in addition to the UAE's most prominent economic achievements and its strategic plans to consolidate its global leadership.

This unprecedented event reflects the UAE government's vision of developing an integrated national media system that keeps pace with global changes and meets the aspirations of Emirati society. This vision is based on a methodology that embraces the principles of dialogue and transparency, and builds strong partnerships with major local, regional, and international media institutions. 

This will showcase the UAE's success story in the areas of economics, sustainable development, soft power, integrated civilizational achievement (humanitarian and social), its constructive engagement with international developments, its positive impact on pressing global issues, its initiative to lead international efforts to assist the most vulnerable communities, and its commitment to fostering the values ​​of cooperation. And peace among the peoples of the world.