The United Arab Emirates has achieved a significant milestone by entering the list of the top ten countries globally for the first time in the Global Talent Report released by the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne for 2025. Among 69 economies, the UAE has risen to the ninth position, advancing eight spots from its ranking last year.
In this latest report, the UAE surpassed other advanced nations known for talent management, including Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, and Norway. This significant leap in its global standings reflects the UAE’s robust development policies and effective strategies aimed at attracting global talent and expertise. Additionally, it showcases the readiness of its infrastructure to support business and innovation while enhancing its international appeal, making the UAE a preferred destination for living, working, and investing.
According to the report, the UAE scored 77.86 points, achieving top global rankings in five competitive indicators and placing within the top ten for 15 competitive indicators across key areas. The country ranked first regionally and globally in the readiness category, which assesses the availability of skills and competencies in the labor market, and held the 12th position worldwide in the attractiveness category that reflects a country’s ability to harness global talent. It also improved six rankings from the 2024 report in the investment and development of national competencies area.
Significant advancements were recorded by the UAE in the Global Talent Report 2025, highlighting its presence among the world’s most competitive nations. This achievement demonstrates the country’s commitment to fostering a comprehensive system that supports talent attraction, national capacity development, and the provision of an advanced business and educational environment. The UAE achieved the top global ranking in several areas, including personal income tax reduction, workforce growth, availability of global expertise, competent senior management, and the transition of higher education students within the country. Moreover, it was ranked second globally for highly skilled foreigners and financial skills, third in student-to-teacher ratios in secondary education, health infrastructure, skilled labor availability, and science graduates. The UAE ranked fifth globally in basic and secondary education and sixth in vocational training, as well as eighth in talent retention and quality of life, underscoring its status as a global hub for talent, innovation, and competitiveness.
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center noted that this achievement results from visionary leadership and the commitment to establishing a competitive knowledge economy that adapts to global changes. It enhances the ability of both national and international talents to contribute to sustainable growth and reflects the UAE’s readiness to meet the evolving demands of the labor market, supported by a competitive business environment capable of attracting and retaining top global talent, thereby bolstering the UAE’s position as a leading destination for creativity, innovation, and international competitiveness.
The Center emphasized that the UAE’s entry into the global top ten list for the first time reflects the strength and resilience of its national economy amid global changes. It also confirms that investing in human capital, developing national competencies, and attracting global expertise are fundamental pillars for enhancing the nation’s competitiveness and leadership on the international stage.
This achievement illustrates the UAE’s confident strides toward solidifying its position as a premier global destination for talent and expertise, driven by its visionary leadership and ambitious policies aimed at building a flexible and diverse economy capable of competing at the international level, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and progressive future on the global market.
It’s worth noting that the Global Talent Report is published annually by the International Institute for Management Development to assess countries’ abilities to develop, attract, nurture, and retain talent using 31 indicators, 17 of which are based on surveys and 14 derived from statistical data involving over 6,000 senior executives.