United Arab Emirates: Selected Issues

The Selected Issues paper discusses United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) focus on reforms for productive and greener growth. This paper aims to quantify the potential long-term growth and productivity gains from ongoing structural reform efforts. Facilitating green and sustainable private finance would reduce the direct fiscal burdens of investment needs and help promote a smooth transition to a lower carbon future. The UAE has recently signed or started negotiations for Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with eleven countries. Depending on the UAE’s ability to further attract foreign direct investment, the reduction of tariffs, especially on intermediate inputs, can significantly lift long-term growth through stronger competition, access to a higher number of varieties and quality of inputs, and transfer of technology. Developing and scaling up private green and sustainable finance, as well as creating an enabling environment for smooth energy transition, would reduce direct fiscal costs, increase efficiency of green investments, and preserve public financial wealth while delivering on growth and Net Zero ambitions.