The United Arab Emirates has expanded its presence on the global startup map to 5 cities, up from 3 last year, placing 30th worldwide according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026 issued by the Startup Blink platform, which covers 1,500 cities and 120 countries.
All UAE cities listed in the index recorded positive growth this year, at a time when the global average growth rate stood at 10.3%, with the UAE's emerging cities driving new growth engines that complement the established roles of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Dubai maintained its position among the world's top 50 ecosystems with growth of 6.9%, remaining at the forefront of Arab world ecosystems. The emirate ranked 5th globally and 1st in the Middle East in the "Startup Community Activity" category, reflecting the density of entrepreneurial events and the level of engagement among investors, entrepreneurs, and technology companies. Its strongest sector is "Marketing and Sales", in which it ranks 29th globally.
Abu Dhabi advanced two places to rank 173rd globally with growth of 14.2%, surpassing the global average, reinforcing the presence of two major entrepreneurial hubs within the country.