Page 50 - MOET ENGLISH PR REPORT - JUNE 2025

Press Release

significant milestone in strengthening collaboration across future-oriented economic sectors. It
also opens new avenues for entrepreneurs and startups in both countries, building on the strong
foundations and promising entrepreneurial environments we share

He added: “Our presence at VivaTech this year aligns with the UAE’s ongoing efforts to support
and empower national startups by facilitating access to investment opportunities and key regional
and global markets. It also plays a crucial role in building meaningful connections and partnerships
with international investors, incubators, and accelerators, advancing our national goal of
positioning the UAE as a global hub for the new economy by the next decade, in line with the ‘We
the UAE 2031’ vision.”

Enhancing economic collaboration between the UAE and France

The Minister of Economy continued: “We will also leverage this platform to attract more French
companies to the UAE and support their efforts to capitalize on the competitive advantages offered
by the UAE economy. These include flexible economic legislation, such as 100 per cent foreign
ownership of companies, reduced corporate tax rates, and access to more than 2,000 licensed
economic activities for business setup and operations.”

A competitive legislative climate for startups
H.E. Bin Touq said: “Today, more than one million active business licenses are held by small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UAE, spanning a wide range of economic sectors and
activities. Since 2020, the number of these companies has increased by 166 per cent, and their
contribution to the non-oil GDP now exceeds 63 per cent. These figures reaffirm the strength and
competitiveness of the UAE’s legislative and regulatory environment for startups. In addition, the
UAE was ranked first globally for the fourth consecutive year in the Global Entrepreneurship
Monitor (GEM) 2024/2025 report, which also named the country the best environment for
entrepreneurship and SMEs among the 56 economies studied. This reflects the success of our
ongoing efforts to build a world-class ecosystem that supports innovation, enterprise, and
sustainable economic growth.”
Visit to UAE pavilion at the exhibition

During his tour of the exhibition, His Excellency Bin Touq visited the UAE pavilion to learn about
the pioneering Emirati SMEs participating in the event and the innovative solutions they offer. He
also inspected several pavilions of French companies specializing in advanced technology and
artificial intelligence.

MoU in the field of data centers and artificial intelligence

Furthermore, H.E. Bin Touq witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
between NodeShift Limited and Qareeb Data Centres, which took place at the UAE pavilion. The
partnership aims to enhance cooperation in the fields of data centers, artificial intelligence, and