Economic Integration Committee highlights efforts to enhance business and investment environment resilience and support SME growth across UAE markets

Meeting underscores importance of intensifying efforts & unifying coordination as part of preparations for the UAE’s mutual evaluation with FATF

The Economic Integration Committee held its fourth meeting of 2026, chaired by H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, and attended by the directors general of economic departments across the UAE. The Committee reviewed its collaborative efforts with relevant federal and local entities aimed at enhancing the resilience of the business and investment environment and supporting the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the country’s markets. These efforts unlock broader opportunities for the UAE business community, strengthening the UAE’s position as a leading global hub for business and investment.

The Committee highlighted the effective contribution of the private sector in boosting the flow of goods and products to markets, securing supply chains, and enhancing the efficiency of the UAE’s strategic stockpile. It also reviewed the outcomes and recommendations from its previous meeting concerning the strengthening of coordinated national efforts to develop economic legislation and policies aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the UAE’s legislative and regulatory frameworks and supporting the sustainability of economic growth.

H.E. Bin Touq said: “Under the guidance of its wise leadership, the UAE maintains its proactive and flexible approach to addressing various economic and geopolitical challenges. The country has recently introduced a lineup of high-impact policies and initiatives aimed at enhancing the readiness of the national food security ecosystem, strengthening the presence of national products, and reinforcing supply chain resilience, thereby supporting the competitiveness and sustainability of the national economy.”

H.E. added: “The Economic Integration Committee has played a key role in ensuring the continuity of business and economic activities, contributing to the growth in commercial license renewals during the crisis period. Additionally, it has worked to strengthen market oversight and price controls and protect the seamless flow of trade and shipping activities, ensuring continued and uninterrupted provision of essential services to citizens, residents, and visitors.”

The Committee also discussed mechanisms to enhance the digital ecosystem for commercial company data in the UAE by strengthening integration between the National Economic Registry (NER) and relevant federal and local entities, alongside the continuous updating of this information. This strengthens NER’s role as a unified national reference that supports informed decision-making and develops economic policies in the country.

The Committee underscored the importance of intensifying efforts and unifying coordination among the various concerned task forces as part of preparations for the UAE’s mutual evaluation with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The discussions focused on monitoring the implementation of national anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism policies and measures, including procedures to identify the ultimate beneficial owner (UBO) of companies. The Committee also explored ongoing preparations for the evaluation and means for coordination among relevant government entities to further strengthen the UAE’s readiness in this regard.