Sharjah Highlights 45% Growth in FDI Projects as Investment Forum Approaches

Sharjah recorded a 45% increase in foreign direct investment projects in 2025, highlighting the emirate’s growing role in the UAE’s investment landscape as global capital becomes more selective about markets and sectors.

Mohamed Juma Al Musharrkh, chief executive of the Sharjah FDI Office, Invest in Sharjah, highlighted the growth ahead of the ninth Sharjah Investment Forum, scheduled for 14–15 October.

The investment forum will bring together ministers, investors, entrepreneurs and business leaders under the theme Building Adaptive Economies, focusing on how companies and markets can respond to changes in capital flows, technology and global supply chains.

Al Musharrkh said the UAE’s investment appeal is supported by economic diversification, a responsive legislative environment, talent and early positioning in emerging sectors. He noted that non-oil activities accounted for 79.4% of the UAE economy in the first quarter of 2026, with sectors including financial services, construction, healthcare and telecommunications contributing to diversification.

For Sharjah, investment attraction is increasingly connected to the emirate’s strengths in production, knowledge, industry, education and entrepreneurship. This gives it a differentiated proposition within the wider UAE investment ecosystem rather than requiring it to replicate the models of Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

FDI project growth is an important measure because the number and composition of projects can reveal where international companies are committing operational resources rather than simply allocating portfolio capital. New projects can contribute to employment, technology transfer, supply-chain development and demand for local business services.

The UAE has also been strengthening its national investment strategy while expanding international trade relationships and positioning itself in future industries. Sharjah’s performance provides a local example of how individual emirates contribute to those national objectives.

Investors are becoming more selective as geopolitical uncertainty, technology shifts and changing supply chains affect capital allocation. Markets offering regulatory clarity, infrastructure and access to skilled workers can therefore gain an advantage when companies decide where to establish or expand operations.

The upcoming Sharjah Investment Forum is expected to examine these issues across investment, technology, smart capital, industrial development and economic resilience.

For businesses evaluating the Northern Emirates, the 45% increase in FDI projects provides a signal of growing international activity. The next question will be whether Sharjah can convert that momentum into sustained investment, expansion by existing companies and deeper participation in high-value sectors.