Dubai courts UK investors with London business pitch

Dubai Chambers has used a London business dialogue to press Dubai’s case as a global base for British companies seeking expansion across the Gulf, Africa and Asia, as trade and investment links between the emirate and the United Kingdom gather pace.

The session, organised with the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, brought together British investors and business leaders for discussions on market entry, sector opportunities and the support available to companies setting up or scaling operations in Dubai. Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, attended the event, which forms part of a broader effort to convert stronger political and commercial ties into higher investment flows.

The dialogue placed Dubai’s regulatory framework, logistics infrastructure, financial services ecosystem, free zones and access to regional markets at the centre of its pitch. It also examined how British companies could use Dubai as a platform under the trade deal agreed between the United Kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council in May, although the legal text and entry-into-force procedures remain part of the next phase.

Lootah told participants that Dubai had become a preferred destination for British companies seeking to extend their presence across the Middle East and wider global markets, supported by an advanced economic model and a business-friendly environment. He said Dubai Chambers would work to help the United Kingdom’s business community benefit from the emirate’s competitive advantages while strengthening economic and investment ties.

The London engagement follows a sharp rise in British corporate activity in Dubai. A total of 562 new British companies joined Dubai Chamber of Commerce during the first quarter of 2026, taking active British member companies to 10,334 by the end of March. That represents growth of more than 330 per cent from 2,402 British member companies at the end of 2020.

Trade figures underline the shift. Non-oil trade between Dubai and the United Kingdom reached AED42.6 billion in 2025, compared with AED23.1 billion in 2021, a rise of 91 per cent over five years. The United Kingdom ranked 17th among Dubai’s largest international trading partners last year, placing it among the emirate’s more important developed-market corridors.

Wider bilateral trade between the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates reached £25 billion in the 12 months to the end of December 2025, with UK exports at £15.8 billion and imports at £9.3 billion. Services have become a notable growth area, with UK services exports to the UAE rising 13.5 per cent over the period, reflecting demand across finance, consulting, technology, education, aviation and professional services.

Dubai’s pitch to investors is also tied to the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which seeks to double the size of the emirate’s economy by 2033 and place it among the world’s top three cities for business and investment. The strategy targets AED32 trillion in total economic output over a decade, AED25.6 trillion in foreign trade and AED650 billion in foreign direct investment.

The emirate has also been consolidating its appeal to multinational companies. Dubai International Chamber attracted 373 companies to the city in 2025, including 64 multinational corporations and 309 small and medium-sized enterprises. Dubai Chamber of Commerce recorded AED356.5 billion in member exports and re-exports in 2025, its highest annual total, while active membership reached 292,486 companies.

The London event builds on a memorandum of understanding signed in December 2024 between Dubai Chambers and the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. That agreement set out cooperation on trade missions, investment promotion, conferences, exhibitions and data sharing, while also providing a framework to help London-based companies expand in Dubai and support Dubai businesses exploring opportunities in London.