Could the APAC–GCC Investment Corridor Reshape Global Growth?
The APAC-Gulf investment corridor is emerging as a globally vital economic area, projected to reach nearly US$600 billion by 2030.
Dubai is becoming a strategic hub for APAC capital, underpinned by stable legal frameworks and an expanding network of trade agreements.
Investment inflows into Dubai are diversifying, with growing activity from private equity, fintech, asset management and sustainability innovators.
The Gulf has long been a magnet for international capital, and major investments by Singapore’s First APAC Fund show how Asia-Pacific investors are increasingly leading the charge.
This activity is building a thriving two-way trade and investment corridor, set to overcome short-term regional disruption and projected to reach nearly US$600 billion by 2030.
A significant amount of this value is expected to be concentrated in the UAE and, specifically, Dubai. A new report on private wealth migration from Henley & Partners ranks the UAE as one of the most competitive wealth destinations globally, reflecting high performance across factors including taxation, investor access and connectivity.
Meanwhile, data published by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) shows that the number of greenfield FDI projects announced in 2025 climbed 10.5% from the prior year to comprise 7% of the global total, the highest share in Dubai’s history. With 1,253 projects announced in 2025, Dubai ranked as the world’s top destination for greenfield FDI projects for the fifth consecutive year.
The draw for APAC investors
Investors and experts attribute rising inflows from Asia to growing awareness of the UAE’s abundant competitive advantages.
“In the early days, the narrative was simply low tax and easy setup,” says Lennard Yong, Founding Management and Group CEO of Ascentium. “What sustains serious business interest today is more durable — from internationally recognized common-law frameworks to genuine proximity to global capital, and a talent market that has matured considerably.”
Recent geopolitical events have only reinforced Dubai’s reputation for stability, strategic vision and speed of execution. The government’s US$680 million in support packages for businesses, enacted this spring, has demonstrated to APAC investors the determination of policy makers to respond quickly and decisively to challenges.
The UAE’s expanding network of comprehensive economic partnership agreements (CEPAs), with economies including India, Vietnam and Malaysia, is another clear attraction for Asian capital.
Diverse investment sources and destinations
The composition of APAC investment into the GCC is changing as regional connections evolve. Investors from China and India are being joined by Southeast Asian manufacturers, family offices in Singapore and APAC fund managers using the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) as a Western-facing listing and structuring venue. “The diversification of participant type is the clearest signal that this is not a cycle, but a structural shift,” says Yong.
Diversity is also reflected in Dubai’s FDI performance. Along with maintaining its leadership in AI- and financial services-related greenfield investment, the emirate has captured the top global position in manufacturing FDI projects, a major focus of the Dubai Economic Agenda 33 (D33), designed to accelerate the emirate’s emergence as a leading global business center.
An increasing number of APAC founders and startups are exploring Dubai, with initiatives including a flagship accelerator program and the DIFC Innovation Hub that make it an ideal base to deliver on their visions.
“There’s growing interest from technology, fintech and payment companies expanding into the UAE and offering their products to the wider Middle East, driven by access to capital, market opportunity and a pro-innovation environment,” says Farida Azarioh, Market Head of Financial Services for Middle East, India and Africa at TMF Group.
Global reach and growth potential
While Dubai continues to serve as an ideal entry point to the region for APAC investors, Dominic Volek, Group Head of Private Clients at Henley & Partners, believes it is becoming a strategic base in its own right.
As regional connections strengthen, prominent upcoming events like Bloomberg Invest Dubai and Future Finance Week highlight Dubai as the natural venue for capital, investors and opportunities to convene. A role poised to grow in importance as investment partnerships, market linkages and capital flows grow.
“The most consequential business corridors of the next decade won’t all run through the established US-Europe-Asia axis,” says Yong. “They will increasingly connect Asia and the Gulf, in both directions.”