WIREDGOV

Scottish entrepreneurs and businesses will gain direct access to investment opportunities and partnerships in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under a new agreement to be signed by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes in Dubai today.

The deal creates opportunities for Scottish business to connect with UAE investors by attending trade events including UAE's Flagship Investopia event in March. Scotland will also host an Investopia Global event in late 2026. This follows the successful first Investopia Global in Edinburgh in December 2025.

The agreement supports joint ventures between small and medium-sized businesses in both countries, with knowledge sharing and training programmes to help Scottish firms expand globally. Regular meetings between Scottish and UAE officials will identify opportunities across key sectors.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:

"This agreement opens doors for Scottish businesses of all sizes to grow and succeed on the international stage.

“By connecting our entrepreneurs with UAE partners and investors, we are creating real opportunities for jobs and prosperity across Scotland. This is about practical support that will help Scottish companies compete and thrive in global markets.

“Attracting global investment into Scotland is crucial to growing the economy, a key priority of this government. We set out efforts in the draft Scottish budget to boost business and entrepreneurial growth and new initiatives such as the First Minister’s Start Up Challenge are backing business to deliver.”

UAE Undersecretary of the Minister of Investment H.E. Mohammad Abdulrahman Alhawi said: “This Memorandum of Understanding reinforces the Ministry of Investment’s commitment to building lasting and meaningful partnerships with leading global economies. This agreement builds on sustained engagement between the UAE and Scotland across government, businesses and investors, including most recently through Investopia, and reflects our shared ambition to translate dialogue into tangible outcomes.

“We look forward to deepening this partnership further and creating high-quality investment opportunities that benefit our respective business ecosystems and support long-term, sustainable growth.”