The UAE has set a goal of hosting two million companies by 2036, backed by comprehensive updates to the Commercial Companies Law designed to position the nation as a top global hub for businesses, investors and innovators.
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, the Minister of Economy and Tourism, shared this target during a press briefing about the recent revisions to the UAE’s corporate legislation.
These adjustments are anticipated to accelerate business expansion, lure more foreign capital and simplify processes for establishing, growing and running companies throughout the UAE.
From the introduction of the Commercial Companies Law in September 2021 through the close of 2025, about 760,000 firms have been added, lifting the total number of active businesses in the UAE to over 1.4 million — an increase of nearly 119 per cent.
Some 250,000 companies were launched in 2025 by themselves, highlighting robust trust in the UAE’s economic prospects.
“We will persist in our efforts to boost the number of companies so that we achieve two million by the end of the decade,” Al Marri stated.
The Commercial Companies Law, enacted in September 2021, transformed the UAE’s corporate landscape by enabling full foreign ownership across numerous sectors, streamlining registration processes, strengthening corporate governance, and enhancing safeguards for investors and shareholders.
These reforms greatly reduced obstacles for foreign enterprises and founders seeking to establish operations in the UAE.