Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have a long history of strong bilateral relations and fruitful cooperation. The first Swedish companies established themselves in the UAE back in the 1960s, and today there are around 200 Swedish companies present in the market.

Swedish businesses are doing well in the UAE. In fact, 70 per cent of the Swedish companies report their financial performance in 2023 was profitable. An encouraging 74 per cent of Swedish companies perceive the business climate in the UAE as good or very good, reflecting a positive view on the operating environment.

In recent years, the UAE has taken several steps towards promoting environmental sustainability through long-term strategies and regulations. In 2016, the country launched its National Climate Change Plan for 2017-2050, and in 2021, the UAE announced that they aim for net-zero emissions by 2050, making the UAE the first nation MENA to do so. Through these initiatives, customers in the UAE will likely start to consider a product's or service's environmental aspects in their purchasing decisions to a greater extent.

Please download the report to fully overview the results with a detailed analysis. 

ABOUT THE SURVEY

Conducted during February and March of 2024, this survey seeks to understand the perceptions of economic and market developments, as well as what opportunities and challenges Swedish companies face.

This year, 67 respondents participated in the web-based survey, answering 25 questions. This means the sample size is large enough to be statistically significant and allows for a more confident representation of the entire population of Swedish companies present in the UAE.

We hope this study will bring insights that can support both companies currently operating in the market and those planning to establish themselves in the UAE, and as always, we stand ready to support all Swedish companies with an interest in the Middle East.