Abu Dhabi Business Week highlights emirate's investment appeal

Officials at the first edition of Abu Dhabi Business Week 2024 highlighted the emirate’s prominent role in attracting investors worldwide and enhancing their presence across various sectors through comprehensive services and programmes that solidify Abu Dhabi’s economic appeal.

In remarks to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the concluding day of the event, which began on 4th December and ends today, officials described Abu Dhabi Business Week 2024 as a strategic platform uniting local and international investors to explore investment opportunities aligned with global economic trends.

They stressed the importance of partnerships between government and private entities in achieving sustainable growth and advancing economic development across sectors, including advanced industries and resource utilisation. The event showcases the investor journey in Abu Dhabi and the emirate’s services for both local and international investors.

Hareb Mubarak Almheiri, Executive Director at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, (ADIO), highlighted the office’s leading role in attracting high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurs. He noted significant progress in organising global promotional tours and signing cooperation agreements to connect international investors with local business partners.

Almheiri pointed to the strong interest in Abu Dhabi's industrial sector, as well as real estate, which remains one of the most popular sectors among local and international investors. He added that investments in small and medium enterprises are also on the rise. The office continues to introduce new investment sectors, including artificial intelligence, agriculture, and food security.

He emphasised the office's role in streamlining the investment process and attracting talent by offering various services, including issuing commercial licences, facilitating visa processes for international investors, and enabling bank account setup, all of which simplify the investor journey in the emirate.

Wadima Almashghouni, Senior Project Manager at the Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre, underscored the importance of private sector involvement in managing major projects. She noted that this collaboration strengthens public-private partnerships to meet sustainable development needs in the emirate and across the UAE.

She added that the centre, established in 2023, currently oversees more than 600 government projects in key areas such as education, housing, infrastructure, and tourism, with a total value exceeding AED200 billion, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s leadership in investment-driven infrastructure.

Almashghouni stated that the centre successfully delivered 71 projects worth AED14 billion last year and is working closely with the private sector to implement future projects.