The United Arab Emirates has entered the top 25 economies in the 2026 Global Innovation Index (GII) published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), rising five positions from 30th place in 2025, according to TV BRICS citing Emirates News Agency (WAM).
According to the report, the UAE took the top global position in four indicators: entrepreneurial policies and culture, attraction of international students, financing for start-ups and scale-ups, and new investment in research and development and advanced technologies. This marks the country's strongest ranking in the index in a decade.
UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri stated that the ranking reflects institutional, human, and technological capabilities enabling expanded investment in knowledge and technology, while supporting the competitiveness of the national economy.
The UAE also ranked sixth worldwide for the value of brands among the top 5,000 largest brands, with its qualifying brands valued at approximately US$101.66 billion in 2026, a 15 percent increase from 2025. It placed seventh globally for mobile application creation, with apps developed by UAE entities registering around 2.91 billion downloads in 2025, an increase of 9.81 percent year on year.
In international trade indicators, the UAE ranked ninth for creative goods exports and 13th for high-tech exports, which reached about US$68.05 billion in 2024, up 36.35 percent from 2023. The country placed 19th for intellectual property revenue as a share of total trade.
Sources
- TV BRICS · 2026-10-05
