UAE Ranked World’s Safest Business Hub

The UAE has been ranked the world’s safest and most economically resilient place to do business, according to the World Security Report. Security leaders in the country reported the lowest level of economic instability risk worldwide, with only 29% seeing it as a potential hazard over the next year—well below the regional average of 41% and the global average of 44%.

Despite the relatively low risks, UAE companies are planning to invest more in physical security. Almost 72% of security leaders expect their budgets to grow in the next year, higher than the global average. Over half (52%) are prioritising efficiency improvements, while another 52% are focusing on new security technology and infrastructure.

Advanced tools are also gaining ground. Around six in ten UAE security leaders see AI-powered intrusion detection and perimeter security as critical in the next two years, with half highlighting AI-driven threat detection and risk assessment. Autonomous AI is already being used in incident response and emergency management by 26% of companies, slightly above the regional average. Expectations for internal threats also remain relatively low, with only 21% anticipating industrial espionage and 17% forecasting sabotage in the coming year.

The findings are based on a survey of more than 2,300 chief security officers from 31 countries, alongside insights from 200 institutional investors managing over USD 1 trillion in assets.