Abu Dhabi’s startup ecosystem has experienced a significant transformation, emerging as the third fastest-growing hub in the Middle East and North Africa, according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Report for 2025 presented at the Vivatech Paris event.
This report holds a prestigious position as the most comprehensive study on startup ecosystems globally, utilizing the largest volume of quality-controlled data in the sector and analyzing information from over 5 million companies across more than 350 entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems worldwide.
The findings highlight Abu Dhabi’s remarkable progress, placing it among the world’s leading startup ecosystems within the ranking tier of 51-60, a significant improvement from its previous position in the 61-70 range. Between July 1, 2022, and December 31, 2024, Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem achieved a value of $4.4 billion (approximately 16.2 billion AED), recording an annual growth rate of 6%.