Ras Al Khaimah attracted 771.5 million dirhams in new investment during the first half of 2026, with 967 new establishments registering with the emirate’s chamber of commerce, according to figures released this month.
The registrations brought 1,399 investors of 68 nationalities to the northernmost emirate of the United Arab Emirates.
What do the figures show?
Dr Rashid Khalfan Al Nuaimi, director general of the Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the numbers reflected the resilience of the local economy and continued expansion across several sectors.
The chamber approved a five-year strategy in January covering 2026 to 2030, focused on attracting foreign investment, simplifying business procedures and developing the emirate’s digital economy.
| Measure | First half 2026 |
|---|---|
| New investment | Dh771.5m |
| New establishments | 967 |
| Investors | 1,399 |
| Nationalities represented | 68 |
Why is Ras Al Khaimah attracting investment?
Ras Al Khaimah, the northernmost emirate of the United Arab Emirates, recorded 771.5 million dirhams in new investment during the first half of 2026, alongside the registration of 967 new establishments with the Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Those registrations involved 1,399 investors from 68 nationalities. The emirate has pursued economic diversification away from its traditional industrial and manufacturing base, with tourism and real estate expanding rapidly. Visitor arrivals reached an all-time high of 1.36 million in 2025, and hotel supply now exceeds 9,000 rooms with a development pipeline of more than 9,500 further rooms planned for 2026 to 2030, 92 per cent of them in the five-star category. Apartment prices rose 32 per cent, according to CBRE. A 5.2 billion dollar integrated resort being built by Wynn Resorts on Al Marjan Island is scheduled to open in early 2027.
What is driving the growth?
Tourism has expanded sharply. Visitor arrivals reached a record 1.36 million in 2025, with occupancy up 4.6 percentage points and revenue per available room up 11.5 per cent year on year, according to CBRE.
Hotel supply now exceeds 9,000 rooms, and the pipeline for 2026 to 2030 plans more than 9,500 additional rooms, 92 per cent of them five-star. Apartment prices rose 32 per cent over the same period.
What is being built?
The largest single project is a 5.2 billion dollar integrated resort by Wynn Resorts on Al Marjan Island, due to open in early 2027.
RAK Central, a mixed-use development, will house the largest Grade-A office district in the Northern Emirates and the headquarters of several government-linked entities. Mina Al Arab is a 10 billion dirham coastal development. Ras Al Khaimah International Airport is being expanded to increase passenger capacity substantially.
How it compares
Ras Al Khaimah has long been overshadowed by Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and its economy was historically built on industry and manufacturing rather than services. It sits about 45 minutes by road from Dubai.
That proximity is part of the proposition: entry costs are lower than in the larger emirates while access to the same labour market and transport links is retained. Saqr Port and the international airport give it sea and air connections independent of its neighbours.
Jebel Jais, the highest peak in the United Arab Emirates, sits within the emirate and has become the focus of an adventure tourism offer distinct from the beach and retail model used elsewhere in the country.
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Sources for this report
The Redline News Desk
The Redline News desk files and edits world reporting. Every story carries the sources it was built from, and corrections are published on the story itself.
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