DMCC's US business community grows 6.5% to 740 companies
The Dubai free zone hosts almost half of the roughly 1,500 American businesses estimated to operate in the UAE, as bilateral goods trade reaches a record $39.1 billion.
DMCC's American business community grew 6.5% over the past 12 months to 740 companies, the Dubai free zone said in a statement on Monday.
The count lands alongside record flows between the two economies. Bilateral goods trade hit $39.1 billion in 2025, a 13% rise year on year, and US exports to the UAE climbed 16.2% to $31.4 billion. For the 17th consecutive year, the UAE stood as the largest Middle East and North Africa market for American goods.
DMCC hosts close to half of the roughly 1,500 US businesses estimated to operate in the UAE. They span technology, professional services, precious metals and stones, energy, media and marketing, and crypto and Web3. Dubai works as a base for American firms pushing into the Middle East, Africa and Asia, with the free zone giving them access to international customers, commercial partners and new markets.
The figures followed the close of DMCC's latest Made For Trade Live roadshow, held in Miami with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. The event gathered American business leaders and industry representatives to discuss expanding abroad through Dubai, with the emirate cast as a gateway to international markets.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DMCC's executive chairman and chief executive, said the growth in American companies reflects strong commercial ties and opportunities in both markets. He said the Miami roadshow underlined how Dubai and Miami play complementary roles as international business gateways.
DMCC also convened a Dubai-Latin America Trade, Investment & Private Wealth Roundtable with the UAE Consulate General in Miami, drawing representatives from Latin American markets. The session covered trade and investment opportunities, with attention on private wealth, family offices and international expansion.
The American expansion mirrors a pattern among the free zone's other foreign cohorts. Dubai's advantage is not the licence count but the trade those firms route through the emirate, which keeps procurement, logistics and financing decisions tied to the city. The British community remains far larger: it grew 7.7% to 2,258 companies in the 12 months to a September 28 report.
