Improve Dubai’s favourable business environment

01

Attract international businesses & investments into Dubai

02

Drive international expansion of Dubai Chambers’ members

03

Grow Dubai’s digital
economy

04

Increase effectiveness
of advocacy

05

Sustain institutional
& customer excellence

06

As part of the organisation’s innovative three-chamber structure, three additional boards guide Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Dubai International Chamber, and Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy towards their strategic priorities.

The Dubai Chambers board brings together several of the emirate’s most prominent business leaders to steer the chambers’ strategic direction, ensure operational effectiveness, and amplify sustainable economic impact. Harnessing extensive experience across diverse sectors and leveraging access to influential networks, the board members support the chambers’ drive to achieve its vision for Dubai’s ambitious future.

Working closely with Dubai Chambers’ leadership and Boards of Directors, the Advisory Councils of Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Dubai International Chamber, and Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy create a platform for the private sector to contribute expert guidance and help shape policies, initiatives, and projects that advance the chambers’ strategic priorities.

The Advisory Councils play an instrumental role in driving impact through advocacy and ensuring a favourable environment in which business can flourish.

The emirate’s positive economic performance was driven by exceptional growth across sectors including Accommodation & Food; Transportation & Storage; ICT; Real Estate; Finance & Insurance; Education, and Manufacturing. Both the number of visitors to Dubai and property transactions exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2023, signalling a renewed and sustained business confidence.

Against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving global landscape, Dubai's dynamic economy demonstrated remarkable resilience to achieve 3.3% year-over-year growth during the first nine months of 2023. This encouraging momentum was supported by several key factors and emerging growth sectors as the emirate continued to embrace diversification, digital transformation, and sustainability.

Strengthening the spirit of cooperation between the public and private sectors will play a central role in achieving our collective goals. Dubai Chambers serves as a bridge connecting the government with the emirate’s dynamic business community and strives to ensure that all stakeholders are fully aligned in their drive to unlock Dubai’s ambitious future.

As the leading representative of Dubai’s private sector, Dubai Chambers scaled up its efforts in 2023 to boost competitiveness, improve the ease of doing business, and advance Dubai’s digital economy to fulfil the promise of a bold new economic vision that aims to double the emirate’s GDP within a decade.

The emirate’s impressive economic performance is on track to continue, bolstered by visionary steps to accelerate positive momentum in the legislative system, strengthen Dubai’s world-class infrastructure, elevate the quality of services, boost the city’s attractiveness to investors, and advance the government’s digital transformation agenda.

Dubai’s economy continued to expand in 2023, with key non-oil sectors playing a vital role in driving the emirate’s robust post-pandemic recovery. The emirate's GDP bucked global trends to achieve year-over-year (YoY) growth of 3.3% during Q1 – Q3 2023, further cementing Dubai's position as a global economic powerhouse.

3.3 %

GDP value

YoY growth

11.1 %

Accommodation & Food Services

YoY growth

10.9 %

Transportation & Storage Services

YoY growth

13.1 %

Contribution to GDP

3.4 %

Contribution to GDP

511

Greenfield projects

63 %

FDI share of medium & high-tech investment projects

6.58 %

Global share in attracting greenfield FDI projects

22.5 %

YoY growth

12.4 mn

Overnight vistors

1.77 mn

Tourists from India

(No. 1 source market)

148,809

Hotel rooms (815 hotel establishments)

75.7 %

Hotel occupancy

39.3 %

YoY growth

1 %

Growth vs Q1 - Q3 2019

25.2 %

YoY growth

8.9 mn

India

4.8 mn

Saudi Arabia

4.4 mn

United Kingdom

86.8 mn

2023 forecast for passenger traffic at DXB

64.5 mn

Passengers received

(Q1 - Q3 2023)

308,000

Flights handled by DXB

(Q1 - Q3 2023)

Traffic volume top country destinations

50.3 %

YoY growth

81,669

Investors registered 109,186 real estate investments worth AED 278.7 bn

85,000

Participants

198

Parties signed ‘The UAE Consensus’ to keep 1.5°C target within reach ​

US$ 85 bn

Funding mobilised through the UAE's Action Agenda

11

Pledges & declarations launched

Guided by its comprehensive 2022-2024 strategy, the organisation aligned its vision to the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) and proactively engaged with key public and private sector stakeholders to enhance cooperation and develop impactful initiatives.

Dubai Chambers continued to go from strength to strength during 2023, building on the positive momentum generated by the announcement of its innovative three-chamber structure in 2021.

AED 284.5 bn

Value of member

exports & re-exports

735,155

Certificates of

Origin issued

67,222

New member companies

217,788

Total number of

active members

5,492

ATA Carnets issued

and received, with a

value of AED 5 bn

4.3 %

YoY growth

9.1 %

YoY growth in

member exporters

(13,688)

20 %

YoY growth

26.8 %

YoY growth

47 %

YoY growth in value

47

Country-specific

Business Councils

63

MoUs signed

385 %

YoY growth

76

New Business

Groups

105

Total Business Groups

128

Companies guided

and empowered to

enhance their growth

and sustainability

141

Mediation cases handled

75 %

Cases Settled

With Dubai playing host to the landmark COP28 summit in November and December, the CRB also took the initiative to facilitate participation among the private sector through a series of events and activations. These included a special workshop aimed at raising awareness about the important role the private sector, particularly SMEs, can play in advancing the sustainability agenda.

Dubai Chamber of Commerce’s Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) made significant strides this year in promoting CSR and guiding organisations to adopt sustainable and responsible business practices.
Bolstering Dubai's image as the foremost destination for businesses that hold environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) as an integral ideology, the CRB hosted its annual Sustainability Week in October with a series of activations and events.

Launched the Dubai Circular Incubation Centre

Developed a first-of-its-kind ESG Label

Concluded the inaugural ESG Pulse Survey

3,427

Participants

14

Sustainability series events organised

104

SMEs attracted

550 %

YoY growth

116

Outbound trade missions & events organised

68

Cities visited

237

Inbound delegations & meetings

600 +

Participants

190 %

YoY growth

44

Countries

34

MNCs attracted

580 %

YoY growth

25

National business figures promoted in target markets

166

Business

networking events

organised

19,000 +

Participants attracted

2,881

B2B meetings arranged

6,912

Participants

3,762

Meetings conducted by international offices

50

International representative offices by 2030 (Dubai Global Target)

16

New international representative offices inaugurated during 2023

31

International representative offices

24

Roadshows and business trips across Middle East, Africa, Asia, & Europe

10

Industry sector workshops organised

6

Digital economy reports published

52

Unicorns

with US$ 663 bn total net worth

50

Prominent tech business leaders participated in IFC's Venture CEO Summit

33,060

Attendees

91

Countries

1,604

Startups

855

Investors with over US$ 1 tn in AUM

3X

Number of app creators by 2025

1,000

UAE nationals to be trained in app development

100

New national projects to be supported