Dubai: The UAE is heading into the 15th edition of AIM Congress with foreign investment and non-oil trade at record levels, as global investors, policymakers and financial institutions gather in Dubai next week to discuss where the next wave of capital will flow.
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AIM Congress 2026 will take place from September 7 to 9 at Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together government officials, institutional investors, investment promotion agencies and technology leaders.
The event will bring together development finance institutions, investment promotion agencies, sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, technology companies and government representatives from regional and international markets.
The agenda includes investment destination forums, roundtables, exhibitions, workshops, pitch competitions and networking sessions.
AIM Congress is building on its 2025 edition, which attracted 15,831 participants from 181 countries and featured 1,385 speakers across 431 sessions.
The timing comes as foreign direct investment into the UAE reached Dh177.3 billion in 2025, putting the country ninth globally, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), cited by AIM Congress.
The UAE has now recorded four consecutive years of record FDI, while its cumulative FDI stock reached Dh1.171 trillion by the end of 2025.
UAE draws greenfield investment
The UAE also retained its position as the world’s second-largest destination for new greenfield FDI projects for a third consecutive year, attracting 1,562 projects.
Those projects accounted for 38 per cent of greenfield project capital expenditure across the Middle East, according to the figures cited by AIM Congress. The investment momentum is also being accompanied by stronger non-oil trade.
The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade reached Dh1.937 trillion in the first half of 2026, up 13.1 per cent from the same period a year earlier.
Non-oil exports hit a record Dh452.8 billion, an increase of 23.9 per cent.
The figures underline the UAE’s push to diversify its economy beyond oil and strengthen its role as a hub for international trade and capital.
Where the money goes next
AIM Congress will centre this year on the theme “Reshaping Global Prosperity: Unlocking New Investment Pathways Towards a Sustainable and Inclusive Future.”
The programme will be organised around three pillars: Global Markets, Future Economies and NexGen.
Discussions will cover global capital flows, emerging markets, technology, sustainability and cross-border investment opportunities.
Dawood Al Shezawi, Chairman of AIM Global Foundation, said the UAE’s investment momentum reflected a broader change in how international capital views the country.
“The record momentum behind this year’s Congress reflects a broader shift in how global capital views the UAE, not simply as a destination for investment, but as a partner in shaping where the next generation of growth will come from,” he said.
“With FDI inflows and non-oil trade both reaching historic highs, the opportunity in front of us is significant,” Al Shezawi added.
He said the focus of the three-day event would be on turning that momentum into investment opportunities by connecting capital allocators, policymakers and innovators.
“Our focus is on translating that momentum into tangible pathways, connecting capital allocators, policymakers, and innovators around the strategies that will define sustainable and inclusive economic growth for the decade ahead,” he said.
