Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi

Opening remarks

The core message of the opening remarks was that Abu Dhabi’s value proposition for businesses and investors rests on stability, strong institutions, global connectivity, and the ability to move with confidence and speed. The speaker thanked the Department of Municipalities and Transport for convening the inaugural edition of LiveXL and framed the gathering as part of an increasingly important conversation about what makes global cities competitive. The remarks began by noting that the global economic environment is changing: investment decisions are becoming more complex, capital is becoming more selective, and companies now have wider choices about where and how they expand. The speaker then positioned Abu Dhabi as an economy that has continued to become more diverse, resilient, and connected to industries shaping the future. Two specific indicators were used to support this point: non-oil sectors now account for more than half of Abu Dhabi’s GDP, and in the first quarter of this year, new economic licenses increased by 21% compared with the same period last year. The speaker emphasized that each license represents a concrete decision by a founder, investor, or family to build their future in Abu Dhabi. Those decisions, the remarks argued, are rooted in confidence in Abu Dhabi’s capabilities, institutions, stability, and long-term opportunity creation. The address then turned to the mandate of the Department of Economic Development Abu Dhabi: creating the conditions for businesses to establish with confidence, investors to commit with certainty, and companies to grow at pace. A central theme was the “speed of doing business,” which the speaker clarified is not only about faster transactions. Instead, speed was defined as clarity, predictability, and removing unnecessary friction because opportunities do not wait and businesses should not be held back by avoidable delays. In closing, the speaker connected LiveXL’s broader conversation to economic development, stressing that no single entity can create the full environment for growth alone. Progress depends on alignment across government, businesses, investors, and institutions. When alignment is strong, decisions move faster, investment carries greater certainty, and businesses gain the confidence to grow for the long term. The final proposition was concise: Abu Dhabi offers a stable economy, strong institutions, global connectivity, and an environment where businesses can move with confidence and speed, reinforcing competitiveness, expanding opportunity, and positioning the economy for what comes next.