The UAE has expanded its presence on the global startup map to five cities, up from three last year, ranking 30th globally according to the "Global Startup Ecosystems 2026" index published by Startup Blink, which covers 1,500 cities across 120 countries.
All listed UAE cities recorded positive growth this year, while the global average growth rate reached 10.3%, highlighting the UAE's emerging growth drivers and complementing the established roles of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Dubai maintained its position among the top 50 ecosystems globally with 6.9% growth, remaining at the forefront of the Arab world's ecosystems. The emirate ranked fifth globally and first in the Middle East in the "Startup Community Activity" category, reflecting the intensity of entrepreneurial events and the level of interaction between investors, entrepreneurs, and technology companies. Its strongest sector is "Marketing and Sales," where it ranks 29th globally. Abu Dhabi advanced two places to 173rd globally with a growth of 14.2%, exceeding the global average, thus strengthening the presence of two major pioneering poles within the country.