Maktoum bin Mohammed reviews UAE Ministry of Finance’s 2025 Annual Report

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 07th Jun, 2026) H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, reviewed the Ministry of Finance’s 2025 Annual Report, titled ‘Financial Efficiency and Global Impact’.

The report charts the Ministry’s role in shaping fiscal policy and steering national development priorities. It also outlines the year’s major achievements and key financial indicators, reflecting the resilience of the UAE economy and its strong capacity for sustainable growth. The report further underscores the UAE’s continued progress in advancing financial sustainability and reinforcing its global leadership position, in line with the objectives of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision and the ‘UAE Centennial 2071’ vision.

H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum affirmed that the UAE, inspired by the visionary directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, continues to set a distinctive global model for sustainable development, one that empowers people, accelerates innovation and advances leadership across all sectors.

H.H. Sheikh Maktoum added that this forward-looking vision has positioned the UAE as a driving force for economic stability and a leading global model for inclusive growth. It has also reinforced the role of the UAE Ministry of Finance as a strategic pillar driving fiscal policies that support the country’s long-term ambitions under the ‘UAE Centennial 2071’ agenda.

“2025 marked an exceptional chapter in our journey towards greater financial efficiency and global impact. We successfully transformed global challenges into opportunities for growth and excellence. Our role extended beyond resource management to strengthening the sustainability of the national financial ecosystem and developing agile legislation that aligns with rapid digital transformation. These efforts contributed to attracting high-quality investments and fostering strong strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors,” H.H. Sheikh Maktoum further said.

At the strategic level, H.H. Sheikh Maktoum said the Ministry of Finance has developed a proactive financial innovation ecosystem powered by digital solutions engineering and artificial intelligence. He explained that the initiative is designed to enhance the efficiency of financial decision-making and safeguard national financial resources for future generations.

H.H. Sheikh Maktoum stressed that this transformation reflects the Ministry’s continued commitment to equipping the national economy with advanced tools that strengthen the UAE’s ability to navigate global shifts with agility and resilience, while further consolidating its position among the world’s most efficient and transparent financial systems.

He added, “The UAE continues to actively shape global financial and economic trends through supporting policies that promote sustainable growth and broaden opportunities for cooperation across the financial, economic and investment sectors. This role reflects the UAE’s commitment to contributing responsibly to addressing global economic challenges and reinforcing the stability of the global financial landscape.”

H.H. Sheikh Maktoum further noted, “The Ministry of Finance’s 2025 Annual Report reflects the transformation of the UAE financial ecosystem, achieved through agile, sustainable policies rooted in efficiency, innovation and future readiness. This transformation further strengthens the competitiveness of our national economy and solidifies the UAE’s global standing.”

Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, said, “2025 marked a pivotal milestone in translating the vision of our wise leadership into tangible achievements. Throughout the year, the Ministry of Finance continued to strengthen its role as a strategic partner in advancing sustainable development through agile fiscal policies that enhanced the resilience of the national economy and improved the efficiency of federal financial resource management. These efforts align with the UAE’s direction towards building a future-ready financial system defined by resilience and global leadership.”

He affirmed that this strong national commitment places a responsibility on the Ministry to develop innovative policies that strike a balance between financial discipline and inclusive economic growth. He noted that throughout 2025, the Ministry focused on modernising legislative and tax frameworks to reinforce financial stability and enhance the UAE’s competitive, business-friendly environment, in line with the objectives of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision and reinforce the UAE’s position as a leading global financial hub.

On strengthening sovereign resources, Al Hussaini said the Ministry continued to advance sophisticated financing tools and develop a fair and transparent tax system aligned with the highest international standards, further reinforcing global confidence in the UAE’s financial approach.

He noted that this direction goes beyond supporting the federal budget. At its core, it aims to secure sustainable resources for future generations and ensure the country’s ability to finance major transformational projects that drive long-term, sustainable growth across key sectors of the economy.

Throughout 2025, the UAE Ministry of Finance continued to strengthen its position as a key driver in advancing the government financial ecosystem through balanced fiscal policies that enhanced financial sustainability and improved the efficiency of government resource management.

The UAE’s federal budget for 2025 reached approximately AED71.5 billion, with balanced revenues and expenditures. Meanwhile, the government approved the 2026 Federal Budget Plan at a total value of AED92.4 billion, marking a 29% increase compared to the 2025 budget. The figures reflect the strength of the national economy, the flexibility of the UAE’s fiscal policies and their ability to support future development priorities.

The report also highlighted continued progress in expanding non-oil revenues by upgrading the tax system, strengthening tax compliance and expanding international agreements, helping reinforce the UAE’s competitiveness and the sustainability of public revenues.

In addition, the report reviewed the launch of the 2025 Federal Budget Annual Report, titled ‘Empowering the Future of Generations to Come’, which featured comprehensive financial and non-financial analyses aimed at enhancing transparency and raising awareness of the country’s fiscal priorities.

The report also outlined the Ministry of Finance’s extensive efforts to upgrade the financial legislative and regulatory framework by introducing and updating an integrated set of laws, regulations, and decisions related to taxation, government revenues, and public finance, thereby reinforcing transparency, fiscal certainty, and tax system efficiency.

These efforts also focused on advancing financial policies, government accounting standards and regulatory frameworks, while introducing guidance manuals designed to support financial sustainability and digital transformation.

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The measures contributed to strengthening financial governance, improving the reliability of government financial reporting and supporting the adoption of international best practices in accrual-based financial reporting and data preparation. The Ministry also expanded the role of specialised committees and working groups that support government financial decision-making.

As part of the Ministry of Finance’s efforts to strengthen financial sustainability and diversify sources of income, the report reviewed key developments across the federal tax system. These included updates to corporate tax, value-added tax and excise tax legislation, the continued advancement of the e-invoicing system, and the adoption of the tiered volume-based excise tax model for sweetened beverages.

The report also highlighted the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) classification of the UAE’s Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax under the ‘Transitional Qualified Status’ framework. This supports the country’s competitiveness and aligns its tax ecosystem with leading international standards.

The UAE Ministry of Finance also continued to strengthen frameworks supporting government financial sustainability, helping improve long-term financial planning and enhance the readiness of government entities to respond proactively to future economic and financial developments.

The report highlighted strong performance in debt markets, with the Ministry’s Islamic Treasury Sukuk programme recording nine auctions during 2025 that attracted robust investor demand, with a total issuance value of AED9.9 billion.

The year 2025 also marked the launch of the ‘Retail Sukuk’ initiative, marking a major step towards strengthening financial inclusion. The initiative created a direct and accessible investment opportunity for citizens and residents through fractional investments starting from AED4,000.

The programme was launched following strategic partnerships with three national banks to enable subscriptions through their digital platforms: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD and Emirates Islamic Bank.

As part of the Ministry of Finance’s vision to build an advanced digital financial ecosystem, the report highlighted the launch and development of several digital initiatives and technology-driven projects aimed at improving the efficiency of government financial operations, enhancing data quality and accelerating decision-making.

Among the most prominent initiatives were the continued development of federal financial systems and the use of artificial intelligence technologies in financial data analysis through the ‘Virtual Mona’ project.

The Ministry also continued to advance digital financial frameworks and update financial procedures and policies across government to improve spending efficiency, enhance financial data quality and accelerate decision-making. These efforts also contributed to enhancing customer experience in line with the UAE Government’s Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme.

On the international front, the report reviewed the Ministry of Finance’s efforts to strengthen the UAE’s presence across the global financial landscape. These efforts included 29 rounds of negotiations with partner countries, the signing of six investment protection and promotion agreements, and the expansion of the UAE’s network of double taxation avoidance agreements.

The UAE Ministry of Finance also continued to play an active role in advancing international cooperation in tax transparency and financial compliance. This included joining several multilateral international agreements related to crypto-assets and the automatic exchange of information.

The Ministry also conducted four high-level strategic financial dialogues with key partner countries, including Russia, Switzerland and Azerbaijan.

The report also highlighted a number of high-impact achievements that further strengthened the UAE’s global competitiveness. Most notably, the country advanced to 16th place globally in the 2025 Government Efficiency Index featured in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook.

The UAE also maintained strong and stable sovereign credit ratings from leading international agencies. The country received an AA- rating from Fitch Ratings, an Aa2 rating from Moody's and an AA rating from S&P Global Ratings, all with stable outlooks.

The report further highlighted the UAE’s progress across international competitiveness indicators related to government support and the efficiency of financial data systems.

During 2025, the Ministry of Finance also received a series of local, regional and international awards spanning digital transformation, government innovation, cybersecurity, public procurement, risk management and institutional excellence. These recognitions reflect the Ministry’s success in embedding a culture of innovation and operational excellence across its institutional ecosystem.

Among the most notable achievements were recognition under the UAE Government’s Zero Government Bureaucracy programme, three procurement excellence awards from Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), certification as a Great Place to Work, and the ‘Innovation for Impact’ award in the AI applications in finance category at the AI for Good Summit, organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with United Nations agencies at Palexpo in Geneva.

The report also noted the UAE’s removal from the Brazil list of countries applying preferential tax regimes, as well as its removal from the European Union list of high-risk third countries related to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing. These developments reflect growing international confidence in the efficiency of the UAE’s financial and legislative framework.

The report further showcased the Ministry’s continued investment in developing national talent and building future-ready capabilities through specialised initiatives and programmes designed to prepare a new generation of financial professionals equipped to navigate global transformations.

Among these initiatives was the launch of the ‘UAE Global Cadres’ programme, aimed at introducing Emirati students and professionals to regional and international financial organisations and institutions, while creating pathways for training and employment opportunities within these entities.

The initiative included a series of specialised meetings and workshops held across several international capitals, including the United States, the United Kingdom and China.

The report concluded by reaffirming the UAE Ministry of Finance’s commitment to a future-focused vision centred on advanced financial technologies, financial sustainability, national talent development and expanded regional and international partnerships. Together, these initiatives continue to strengthen the UAE’s position as a leading global hub for public finance and sustainable development.