Abu Dhabi 2015 FDI jumps 9% to Dh88 billion

ABU DHABI - Abu Dhabi showed a growth of 8.9 per cent to reach Dh88.324 billion against Dh81.112 billion in 2014.

The foreign direct investment in Abu Dhabi grew by 8.9 per cent to Dh88.324 billion in 2015.
The figures came as part of the final findings of the field foreign investment survey carried out by the Statistics Center - Abu Dhabi. The survey covered direct foreign investment for economic activity, the portfolio and other investments.
Estimates of 2015 total direct foreign investment in Abu Dhabi by the Statistics Center - Abu Dhabi showed a growth of 8.9 per cent to reach Dh88.324 billion against Dh81.112 billion in 2014.
Nineteen per cent or Dh16.710 billion of the direct foreign investments went to the manufacturing industries in 2015, with a 7.8 per cent growth rate, against Dh15.502 billion and a contribution percentage of 19.1 per cent in this sector in 2014.

Ali Majid Al Mansoori, chairman of the Department of Economic Development, Abu Dhabi, said the continuous uptrend and development in the investment environment of Abu Dhabi, which attracts more foreign investment as a result of the efforts of all relevant government bodies to develop and improve the emirate's investment environment in light of Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.
"There is growing awareness about the necessity of encouraging foreign investment as a tool for economic diversity. Abu Dhabi has put all efforts to develop the necessary infrastructure to boost and encourage economic development in all fields," he added.
In this regard, Rashed bin Lahej Al Mansoori, chairman of the Statistics Center - Abu Dhabi, or SCAD, said that the overall direct foreign investments in Abu Dhabi amounted to Dh81.112 billion in 2014.
Most of these investments were concentrated in Abu Dhabi region which received Dh80.463 billion whereas direct foreign investments in the western region amounted to Dh484 million and Al Ain region received Dh283 million in direct foreign investment in the same year.
Austria was the biggest investor with FDI reaching Dh9.503 billion, followed by France that invested Dh8.959 billion and the United Kingdom came third with investments amounting to Dh4.593 billion.
Al Mansoori said that the total investment portfolio amounted to Dh57.283 billion. - haseeb@khaleejtimes.com