Dubai hails a successful 2024: A look at the city’s progressive economy

Op-ed by Hisham Al Gurg, CEO of Seed Group and The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum

As the year 2024 comes to a close, I am filled with great pride as I look at Dubai’s extraordinary progress. This has been a year of remarkable opportunities and significant milestones, where the city has been well-positioned to become a global destination for vibrant living and international business endeavours.

Dubai’s strategic efforts under the Dubai Economic Agenda 2033 (D33) have yielded economic achievements that reflect its forward-looking goals. Reports indicate that the city welcomed 11.93 million international visitors between January and August 2024. By 2025, the emirate aims to host more than 20 million inbound tourists, a goal that appears attainable given the numerous international events scheduled in Dubai over the coming months.

In fact, the city’s hosting of world-class exhibitions and conferences such as GITEX Global, Arab Health, Gulfood, and the Dubai Airshow have further attracted the world’s attention. Dubai has also excelled in the leisure and luxury travel sector as it reclaims the top spot in Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards. It has also been recognised as the leading destination for greenfield FDI projects, is home to the world’s busiest airport (Dubai International Airport), and ranks highly in global city indices. With these initiatives in place and the D33 Agenda serving as the guiding blueprint, the emirate proactively creates a business ecosystem that meets international standards and thereby drives economic development. 

In this thriving business field, corporate institutions such as Seed Group have been influential in developing strategic relationships that propel Dubai’s economic arena ahead. Making use of its wide network and strong regional expertise, the Group facilitates market access for companies across strategic industries to compete in Dubai’s lucrative corporate environment. The Group’s lineup of innovative approaches is indeed consistent with the city’s overarching aim to foster technological innovation, stakeholder collaboration, and company success.

I believe that these developments are a clear reflection of Dubai’s commitment to investing in profitable sectors and projects focused on enhancing its economic status. Notably, these efforts are supported by the city’s pro-innovation policies.

From my perspective, these achievements embody Dubai’s ethos of collaboration, innovation, and strategic foresight. Its leaders’ proactive initiatives to develop its human development and R&D undertaking, along with co-designing projects with private institutions, exemplify this core value. This, in turn, ensures that doing business in Dubai is a compelling proposition for global companies.

As Dubai strides toward 2025, it is expected to stay on track with its lofty goal of becoming a top-third global hub for innovative excellence and economic leadership — underpinned by the ambitious D33 Agenda. These initiatives inarguably enhance its appeal for entrepreneurs considering starting a business in Dubai and, ultimately, instil confidence in the emirate’s ability to navigate and shape the future.