UAE breaks into world’s top 25 most innovative economies for first time

Dubai: The United Arab Emirates has achieved a historic milestone by securing a spot among the world's top 25 most innovative economies for the first time. The nation has ascended five positions in the 2026 Global Innovation Index, released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), climbing from 30th place in 2025 to 25th place.

The index evaluates innovation performance across 139 economies, focusing on the ability of entrepreneurs to turn scientific discoveries into scalable businesses with far-reaching economic impacts, particularly in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, advanced materials, semiconductors, and clean energy. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, highlighted the UAE's progress in establishing a business environment that fosters innovation and strengthens the national economy's competitiveness.

The country's rise in the index reflects its strong institutional, human, and technological capabilities, as well as its continued investment in knowledge and technology. The UAE's innovation performance has been impressive, ranking first globally in entrepreneurship policies and culture, attracting international students, financing for start-ups and scale-ups, and new investment in research and development.

The combined value of UAE brands among the world's top 5,000 reached approximately $101.66 billion in 2026, a 15% increase from 2025. Furthermore, the UAE's mobile application creation, creative goods exports, high-tech exports, and intellectual property receipts have ranked the country in the top 10 globally. The country's rankings in various categories, such as higher education, business environment, general infrastructure, knowledge absorption, information and communications technology, and credit, place it among the world's top eight economies.

The UAE's improvement in the index's seven main pillars, including institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication, and business sophistication, underscores its strategic focus on becoming a global hub for innovation-driven sectors and a center of economic transformation under the We the UAE 2031 vision.