Registered foreign funds in the UAE grow 147% year-on-year

The UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority registered 114 foreign investment funds in 2020, up 147% compared to 2019.

The Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) of the UAE had registered a total of 114 foreign investment funds in 2020, a growth of 147% compared to 2019.

In 2016, the number of foreign investment funds registered with the authority was only two, rising to 270 in 2017. In 2018, the number stood at 164, dropping further to only 46 in 2019, before surging again in 2020, the WAM news agency reported.

According to SCA data, the number of registered foreign funds that regularised their status between 2016 and 2020 amounted to 596.

Foreign investment funds registered in the UAE originate from many countries, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, India, the Cayman Islands, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

“This growth confirms the UAE’s leading position among foreign investment companies, due to the attractive investment environment of its local market, as well as the facilities and incentives it offers to investors,” a statement said.