During its first meeting of 2026, chaired by H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri

Economic Integration Committee reviews milestones in enhancing UAE’s legislative system and business competitiveness

The Committee has successfully emerged as a national platform for legislative dialogue between federal and local authorities

 The Economic Integration Committee held its first meeting of 2026, chaired by H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism. The meeting, attended by the directors-general of the local economic departments across the UAE, reviewed the Committee’s efforts and achievements over the past year in developing the national economic legislative system, boosting the competitiveness of the economy, and supporting integration between relevant federal and local entities. The Committee also followed up on recommendations from its previous meeting, assessing their progress and results to date.

A national platform for legislative consultation

H.E. Bin Touq said: “Thanks to the exceptional efforts of its member entities, the Economic Integration Committee has emerged as a national platform for legislative dialogue between federal and local authorities. Since its establishment in 2021, the Committee has achieved tangible progress in developing economic legislation and policies that enhance the competitiveness of the business and investment environment and strengthen institutional integration. It has supported numerous joint national projects and initiatives and delivered specialized technical studies to inform decision-making. These efforts have contributed to the development of a pioneering economic legislative ecosystem for the UAE, in line with global best practices.”

Seven federal laws and nine economic policies

H.E. added: “In 2025, the Committee’s efforts supported the issuance and review of seven federal laws and nine economic policies, most notably the new decree amending certain provisions of the Commercial Companies Law and the new decree concerning combating money laundering and terrorism financing.” H.E. Bin Touq noted that national efforts continue towards achieving the strategic goal of making the UAE the world’s leader in the development of proactive legislation for new economic sectors, aligning with the “We the UAE 2031” vision.

UAE economic achievements

Reviewing the UAE’s economic performance in 2025, the Minister of Economy and Tourism highlighted major achievements, including the country’s rise to seventh position in economic strength and stability in the Global Soft Power Index 2025, the establishment of nearly 250,000 new companies, the registration of 37,794 trademarks, and the tourism sector’s 15 per cent contribution to the national GDP, valued at AED 291 billion.

27 national initiatives

The meeting shed light on the Committee’s 2025 Annual Report, which highlighted support for 27 national initiatives. These include The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World, the National Regulation of Competition Guide initiative, and the initiative to develop a unified national platform to regulate telemarketing calls. Additionally, three technical studies were prepared on supporting financing in the fields of corporate intellectual property, commercial agencies, and spam calls.

Issuance of 65 recommendations and formation of five taskforces

The report clarified that last year, the Committee successfully held seven meetings, formed five subsidiary taskforces, and issued 65 recommendations, approximately 95 per cent of which have been completed. All these efforts contributed to developing an integrated environment for economic collaboration among relevant national entities.

Unified mechanism linking economic register with trademarks system

During the meeting, the Committee discussed the potential adoption of a unified mechanism to link the Economic Register system of licensing authorities across the UAE with the Trademarks system at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. This would enhance digital integration and database standardization across the UAE’s economic systems, boosting procedural efficiency and speed, improving data quality and exchange between relevant entities, and increasing corporate financial value while supporting business environment competitiveness.

The Committee explained that the legislation and policies it has helped develop have incorporated the UAE’s 40 free zones into the nation’s economic policy and legislative pathways through coordination, consultation, data exchange, and policy alignment. This also includes standardizing procedures and policies for entities registered in the country, which supported efforts in combating money laundering, leading to the UAE’s exit from the FATF grey list and preparing for the national assessment at the end of 2026.

Consolidating UAE’s position in the Global Innovation Index

The Committee also explored opportunities to bolster national efforts to consolidate the UAE’s standing in the Global Innovation Index. This involves developing initiatives to encourage research and development, foster entrepreneurial projects, and enhance companies’ competitiveness locally and globally, thereby sustainably strengthening the innovation ecosystem and stimulating a creative and sustainable business environment in the country.