Page 464 - MOET PR REPORT- SEPTEMBER 2025

9/23/25, 3:41 PM Minister of Economy: UAE seeks to increase number of startups to more than two million by 2031 – The Gulf Time Newspaper
Minister of Economy: UAE seeks to increase

number of startups to more than two million by

2031

ABU DHABI/WAM

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, affirmed that startups and entrepreneurs

constitute a fundamental pillar in the UAE’s economic growth journey, noting that the country aims to

increase the number of companies to more than two million by 2031.

In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the press conference announcing the

details of the national campaign ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World’, Al Marri added that the
UAE also aims to see 10 unicorns emerge during the same period, with about five unicorn companies

having already originated from the country.

He pointed out that the campaign supports these national goals by providing an enabling environment that

empowers youth to launch their entrepreneurial ventures and achieve growth and expansion.

He explained that the UAE possesses comprehensive strategies that encompass economic clusters, food

security, economic openness through Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements, as well as

strategies for innovation and intellectual property protection, affirming the readiness of the national

infrastructure to support the growth of startups at both the federal and local levels.

He noted that the UAE today hosts more than 1.2 million companies, of which around one million are owned
by entrepreneurs, representing nearly 94% of the total. This, he emphasised, reflects the pivotal role of

entrepreneurs in strengthening the national economy.

https://gulftime.ae/minister-of-economy-uae-seeks-to-increase-number-of-startups-to-more-than-two-million-by-2031/ 1/2