The UAE government is inclined to adopt new policies to ensure it will attract higher levels of foreign direct investment over the coming years, Sultan bin Saeed al-Mansouri, UAE economy minister, tells the Sharjah Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Forum on 19 September.

“We should attract more FDI… overcome associated challenges and introduce the best policies,” Al-Mansouri says.

The UAE attracted $9bn in FDI in 2016 and it is understood to have contributed an accumulated $117.9bn to the UAE economy so far.

These investments have mainly been directed at industries that include aluminium, tourism and aviation, among others.

Al-Mansouri says that a combination of the country’s political stability, geographical location and investment environment will enable it to become among the world’s best investment destinations in the future.

Al-Mansouri further says that in addition to attracting FDIs, the country must also “pay attention to attaining sustainable development through these investments…. generate new job opportunities and boost productivity.”