DUBAI, 21st April, 2026 (WAM) — The Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) announced strong annual results for 2025, reporting a 19.4 percent increase in revenue and a 17.8 percent rise in net profit compared to 2024. These results underscore the resilience of its operating model and the strength of its integrated economic ecosystem.
DIEZ’s robust performance was driven by improved operational efficiency and the increasing attractiveness of its three economic zones, Dubai Airport Free Zone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and Dubai CommerCity.
The total number of companies registered within the DIEZ ecosystem grew by 24.6 percent by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, the total workforce across companies operating within its zones reached 106,359 employees, a 26.2 percent increase from the previous year, signalling broader expansion of economic activity and a strengthening labour market.
H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the DIEZ, said the 2025 results further reinforce DIEZ’s economic contribution and its role as a key driver of Dubai’s global competitiveness in trade and investment. He added that this progress aligns with the leadership’s vision to advance sustainable growth and economic diversification.
He noted that the strong revenue performance also demonstrates DIEZ’s ability to translate opportunities into tangible value through a flexible business environment, advanced infrastructure, and smart solutions that enhance business efficiency and support expansion into regional and global markets.
H.H. Sheikh Ahmed further emphasised that Dubai’s economy remains resilient, diversified, and future-oriented, highlighting the importance of accelerating innovation and digital transformation while maximising value creation in priority sectors. These efforts support the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and reinforce the emirate’s ambition to rank among the world’s top three urban economies over the next decade.
He added that DIEZ will continue to enhance its institutional capabilities and advance its integrated ecosystem to sustain growth and competitiveness, with a focus on empowering businesses and strengthening the contribution of economic zones to Dubai’s long-term economic resilience.
Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Executive Chairman of the DIEZ, stated that the authority’s 2025 performance reflects a disciplined operational approach focused on financial sustainability and efficiency enhancement, alongside optimising returns from its services and institutional offerings.
He added that the simultaneous growth in revenue and profitability underscores DIEZ’s ability to generate sustainable value while maintaining balanced and adaptive growth aligned with global market dynamics, including evolving supply chains and trade patterns.
Al Zarooni highlighted that the increase in the number of companies and employees within the ecosystem serves as a clear indicator of strong investment attractiveness and the quality of the operational environment across DIEZ’s zones. He reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to further enhancing smart services, streamlining the customer journey, and strengthening integration across its economic zones.
Looking ahead, he noted that DIEZ will prioritise expanding its economic impact in future-focused sectors while enabling businesses to enhance productivity and scale, supporting Dubai’s vision of a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy.
DIEZ recently witnessed the launch of major expansion projects at Dubai Silicon Oasis by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, with total investments amounting to AED12.8 billion.
The expansion includes two flagship developments: District IO and Block 14. With an investment of AED11 billion, District IO is designed to provide advanced infrastructure that supports future technologies and strengthens Dubai’s research, development, and innovation ecosystem. The project is expected to generate over 70,000 direct and indirect jobs over the next decade, contribute up to AED103 billion to Dubai’s GDP and attract foreign direct investment of up to AED30 billion by 2036.
The development will accommodate more than 6,500 global companies, including SMEs and startups operating in future-focused sectors: smart mobility, 3D printing, robotics, X-Tech, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, and Web3 technologies.
The first phase of Block 14, featuring an investment of AED1.8 billion, will deliver an integrated business and residential environment aligned with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) principles. Located near the Dubai Metro Blue Line station at Dubai Silicon Oasis, the project includes commercial and residential buildings, retail spaces, and connectivity enhancements linked to the metro network.
In 2025, DIEZ also advanced several strategic initiatives across infrastructure and institutional development. This includes the approval of the second phase of the expansion of the Rochester Institute of Technology – Dubai campus at Dubai Silicon Oasis, with an investment exceeding AED313 million and a total built-up area surpassing 124,000 square metres, representing a 217 percent increase.
The expansion is expected to increase the university’s capacity to approximately 4,500 students, supported by nine new academic and administrative buildings, advanced learning facilities, and integrated infrastructure, further strengthening its role as a global hub for innovation and research.
DIEZ also reinforced its partnerships with global companies. H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Olympic Committee, witnessed the launch of an AED100 million talent development initiative by Schneider Electric, coinciding with the inauguration of its regional headquarters, ‘The Nest’, in Dubai Silicon Oasis, the first facility of its kind under the company’s global Impact Buildings programme.
Source: Emirates News Agency