In the first annual report of the MENA-OECD Business Advisory Board

UAE establishes an advanced regional model for economic dialogue and policy development based on partnership, innovation, and sustainability

Dr. Maria AlQassim: Report underlines the UAE’s leadership in developing new economy legislation that supports innovation, competitiveness, and economic diversification in line with global best practices

The first annual report of the MENA-OECD Business Advisory Board, published under the title ‘Building Diversified and Connected Economies: Private Sector Strategies,’ highlighted the UAE’s leading global experience in developing economic and tourism legislation based on partnership, innovation, and sustainability. The UAE featured among the most successful international models in this field thanks to policies that enhance the competitiveness of its business environment and national economy, supporting their sustainable growth in line with global best practices.

The report builds on the outcomes of discussions and policy labs held during the Board’s meeting, hosted by the UAE at Expo City Dubai from 29 to 30 October 2025, with the participation of government and private sector representatives from countries across the region and OECD member states. The discussions focused on developing practical and implementable policies to support competitiveness, economic diversification, and public-private sector partnership.

The report reviews the experiences of countries in the MENA region, as well as European OECD member states, in developing economic policies that are practical and implementable across key economic sectors, including tourism, entrepreneurship, SMEs, food, agriculture, and logistics.

H.E. Dr. Maria Hanif AlQassim, Assistant Undersecretary for Policies and Economic Studies Sector at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, affirmed that the UAE’s legislative and regulatory leadership is reflected in its advanced position as a global destination for business, economy, and tourism, as well as a leading regional platform for economic dialogue and the development of competitive economic policies. The UAE has continued to develop its economic legislative ecosystem to enhance flexibility, proactivity, sustainability, and economic openness, while keeping pace with future variables and trends, particularly across family businesses, digital trade, commercial companies, consumer protection, and cooperatives.

H.E. said: “The UAE’s economic legislative environment has experienced significant transformations that have strengthened its resilience and competitiveness. In collaboration with relevant partner entities within the UAE, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MoET) has issued and updated over 35 economic laws, policies, and resolutions over the past five years, including 10 policies in new economy sectors. Last year alone saw the issuance of approximately 19 economic legislations and policies, reflecting the UAE’s strategic direction to build a more innovative and sustainable economy and supporting its objective of leading globally in developing proactive legislation for new economic sectors by the next decade, in line with the objectives of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.”

H.E. added: “The Ministry is committed to continuing its cooperation and joint work with the OECD and the Business Advisory Board, in support of the UAE’s vision to shape an innovative and sustainable future direction for its economic policy and legislative ecosystem, while consolidating partnerships with relevant international organisations and institutions.”

UAE Tourism Strategy 2031

The report reviewed the UAE’s experience in developing applied policies across several vital sectors, including tourism, food, and SMEs. It highlights the pivotal role of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 in building a tourism model based on enhancing added value and diversifying tourism products, including specialised pathways such as cultural, nature-based, and rural tourism.

Leveraging digital platforms in managing tourism flows

The report also highlights the UAE’s success in leveraging digital platforms to manage tourism flows across its destinations and landmarks, while strengthening its partnership with the private sector. This contributes to enhancing the efficiency of the sector, improving the quality of services provided to visitors and tourists from around the world, and reinforcing the UAE’s position as a leading global tourism destination.

A competitive business environment and digital government services

The report also reviewed successful models and experiences from countries in the region in developing a competitive business environment that supports entrepreneurship and SMEs. This includes the UAE’s experience in accelerating the digital transformation of government services, simplifying business registration and licensing procedures, and reducing administrative burdens and operational costs, thus contributing to streamlining business operations and increasing the country’s attractiveness to entrepreneurs and investors.

An integrated support package for SMEs

The report noted that the UAE’s approach to supporting SMEs, through the provision of financing, training, and advisory services, aligns with international best practices in developing entrepreneurial ecosystems, enabling business growth, and boosting productivity.

SMEs represent a fundamental pillar of the national economy, accounting for around 95% of all companies operating in the country and providing more than 85% of private-sector jobs. Their contribution to GDP has reached approximately 63%.

The country has also witnessed significant growth in the number of registered business licenses, which reached about 1.33 million, a tenfold increase over the past twenty years, reflecting the attractiveness of the UAE’s business environment and the dynamic nature of its private sector.

The UAE Food Economic Cluster

The report affirmed that the UAE’s efforts to develop the Food Economic Cluster are aligned with global best practices that focus on building integrated food systems combining investment in logistical infrastructure with the adoption of innovation and modern agricultural technologies. This supports the sustainability of food supplies and strengthens the country’s competitiveness as a regional and global hub for food trade and production.

The Food Economic Cluster includes nearly 2,000 companies operating in the food sector across the UAE within just two years of its launch. It also contributes to supporting a new generation of producers and farmers capable of leveraging modern technologies in food and agricultural activities.

Enhancing economic diversification and public–private partnership

The report reflects a practical approach to transforming dialogue into actionable policies. Its findings indicate that achieving effective economic diversification in the region requires shifting from a quantitative expansion model to one focused on raising productivity, enhancing value-added, and creating impactful jobs that support sustainable growth. It also emphasizes that institutional partnership with the private sector is a central tool for ensuring efficient and effective implementation of economic policies and strengthening investor confidence.

Supporting economic competitiveness and integration into regional and global value chains

The report further clarified that the concept of economic competitiveness is no longer tied solely to infrastructure; it now relies primarily on the quality of regulatory frameworks, the stability of economic policies, and the availability of skills and talent, enabling companies to expand and integrate effectively into regional and global value chains.

Review of 11 global models in developing actionable economic policies

The report also highlights the experiences of 11 countries from the region and the OECD, including Egypt, Morocco, Spain, the Netherlands, and Finland, in developing actionable policies across key sectors such as tourism, SMEs, and agricultural value chains. These examples provide a practical framework to support the design and implementation of economic policies and enhance their developmental impact.

The report notes that the Business Advisory Board is considering the establishment of a ‘Business and Competitiveness Observatory’ in the region as a platform to strengthen understanding of private-sector representation mechanisms and to advance institutional dialogue between governments and the business community.

The Observatory will support the exchange of expertise and best practices and strengthen connections between business leaders and economic representation organizations in the region and OECD countries. This will contribute to shaping a future policy agenda that supports public–private partnership and enhances the competitiveness and sustainability of the business environment.

The full version of the report is available on the official website of the OECD through the following link: Annual Report 2025 MENA-OECD Business Advisory Board.pdf