The Economic Integration Committee convened its first meeting of 2026 under the leadership of Abdullah bin Touq Al Mari, the Minister of Economy and Tourism. The meeting focused on reviewing the committee’s efforts and achievements from 2025, specifically in enhancing the country’s economic legislative framework, bolstering national economic competitiveness, and fostering collaboration between federal and local entities. The committee also evaluated the recommendations from its previous meeting, assessing the progress made and the outcomes achieved to date.
National Platform
Abdullah bin Touq highlighted the committee’s success in establishing a national platform for dialogue and legislative consultation between federal and local bodies. This initiative has positively impacted numerous national joint projects and facilitated the provision of specialized technical studies to aid decision-making. Since its inception in 2021, the committee has made significant strides in refining economic legislation and policies that promote a competitive business and investment environment, as well as enhancing institutional collaboration. In the meeting, attended by directors-general of economic departments across all seven emirates, he noted that the committee’s efforts in 2025 led to the issuance and review of seven federal legislations and nine economic policies, notably the decree amending certain provisions of the Commercial Companies Law and the decree addressing money laundering and combating terrorist financing.
He also emphasized the ongoing national endeavors aimed at securing the top global position for proactive legislative development in new economic sectors, in alignment with the “We Are the Emirates 2031” vision.
During the meeting, Abdullah bin Touq reviewed key achievements in the UAE economy throughout 2025, including the nation’s rise to seventh place globally in economic strength and stability according to the 2025 Global Soft Power Index. Additionally, approximately 250,000 new companies entered the local markets, with nearly 37,794 national and international trademarks registered last year. The contribution of UAE tourism to the country’s GDP rose to 15%, amounting to a total of 291 billion dirhams.
Annual Report
The meeting shed light on the committee’s annual report for 2025, which indicated support for 27 national initiatives, including the UAE as the World’s Capital of Entrepreneurs, the State Competition Organizing Guide initiative, and the development of a unified national platform for regulating telemarketing calls. Furthermore, the committee prepared three technical studies concerning financing support in intellectual property rights, commercial agencies, and unsolicited marketing calls. According to the report, the committee successfully conducted seven meetings, established five working groups, and produced 65 recommendations, around 95% of which have been implemented, thereby contributing to a more integrated economic environment for the relevant agencies in the country.
Unified Mechanism
The committee discussed the possibility of adopting a unified mechanism to link the economic registration system of licensing authorities in the country with the trademark system of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. This initiative aims to enhance digital integration, standardize databases across economic systems nationwide, improve procedural efficiency, and elevate data quality and sharing among relevant entities, ultimately boosting the financial value of companies and enhancing competitiveness in the business landscape.
The committee stated that the legislative and policy developments it has championed have brought free zones—of which there are currently 40—within the scope of national economic policies and legislation through coordination, consultation, data exchange, and policy alignment. This has led to unified procedures and policies among registrants within the country, contributing to efforts against money laundering and the exclusion of the nation from the list of monitored countries, while preparing for the national evaluation at the end of 2026.
Furthermore, the committee examined opportunities to bolster national efforts in establishing the UAE’s position on the Global Innovation Index by enhancing initiatives that support research and development, nurturing entrepreneurial projects, and increasing the competitiveness of companies both locally and internationally, thereby promoting an innovative ecosystem and fostering a sustainable creative business environment.