Dubai has risen to seventh place among the world’s leading financial centres, its highest-ever ranking, as the UAE continues to attract record levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) and expand its financial, technology and artificial intelligence sectors.
The emirate climbed four places in the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) 39, published in March 2026 by Z/Yen Group in partnership with the China Development Institute. The improvement comes as the UAE attracted AED177.3 billion ($48.3 billion) in FDI inflows during 2025, underlining the country’s growing appeal to international investors.