In his capability as Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, has accredited Regulation No. 15 of 2025 concerning the Authorities of Dubai’s basic finances cycle for the fiscal years 2026-2028, and the Dubai Authorities’s basic finances for the fiscal yr 2026.
The three-year finances cycle for 2026-2028 has been accredited with a complete expenditure of AED302.7 billion and complete revenues of AED329.2 billion. This finances cycle, the most important within the emirate’s historical past, aligns with future ambitions to advertise sustainable financial progress, improve group well-being, and solidify Dubai’s status as a land of alternative and innovation.
Throughout the implementation of the 2026–2028 cycle, Dubai’s Division of Finance (DOF) expects to attain an working surplus of as much as 5% of the emirate’s projected GDP for 2026, additional solidifying long-term fiscal sustainability.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Govt Council of Dubai, mentioned: “Dubai’s basic finances cycle for 2026–2028 supplies a monetary roadmap that accelerates Dubai’s ambitions to reinforce the expansion of its key sectors and solidify its place as a world financial centre.”
“This finances displays the imaginative and prescient of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to advance the emirate’s strategic goals, most notably doubling Dubai’s GDP and positioning it among the many world’s high three city economies throughout the subsequent decade, whereas sustaining a balanced strategy between formidable progress and financial stability, supported by prudent fiscal insurance policies.” His Highness added.
“The finances reinforces our dedication to future-focused sectors and ushers in a brand new part of knowledge-driven, innovation-led progress within the digital economic system. It expands alternatives for native entrepreneurship and helps a high-growth surroundings throughout all key sectors. The fiscal sustainability and competitiveness mirrored on this finances additional improve Dubai’s attraction to world traders and innovators, laying a powerful basis for the emirate to understand its long-term aspirations and construct a affluent future,” Sheikh Hamdan additional mentioned.
A transparent message
For his half, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE, mentioned: “The approval by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of the most important finances in Dubai’s historical past for the 2026-2028 cycle sends a transparent message that Dubai’s journey of progress is pushed by limitless ambition and a future-focused imaginative and prescient, and that the well-being and high quality of lifetime of Dubai’s residents stays the last word focus of all the federal government’s initiatives.”
His Highness added: “This finances can also be a reminder that the long run is being formed right now in Dubai, and that town is constructed to encourage, lead, and regularly set new benchmarks in city improvement.
“This largest fiscal cycle within the emirate’s historical past demonstrates the energy of the Dubai Authorities’s monetary framework and its planning capabilities. This endeavour serves to reinforce the effectivity of presidency spending, maximise the financial returns on public investments, and maintains excessive ranges of resilience within the face of worldwide transformations. Dubai has adopted a disciplined fiscal strategy that helps the emirate’s strong monetary place and strengthens investor and market confidence in its capability to proceed endeavor long-term improvement initiatives with out compromising its monetary stability.”
His Highness Sheikh Maktoum famous: “Below the steerage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, authorities groups will proceed to understand this forward-looking imaginative and prescient and work collectively throughout all sectors to make sure Dubai stays essentially the most stunning metropolis, one of the best metropolis to reside in, and one of the best place to go to on the planet.”
The 2026–2028 monetary cycle embodies Dubai’s forward-looking imaginative and prescient, with strategic investments in house analysis, digital transformation, and synthetic intelligence, whereas fostering entrepreneurship and making a dynamic surroundings for various financial sectors throughout the emirate.
Supporting initiatives
The estimated expenditure for the fiscal yr 2026 stands at AED99.5 billion, reaffirming Dubai’s dedication to supporting improvement initiatives, stimulating macroeconomic progress, and realising the goals of the Dubai Plan 2033 and the Dubai Financial Agenda D33.
The 2026 finances prioritises social providers and the event of well being, schooling, tradition, and infrastructure initiatives, allocating funds in response to strategic priorities and ruled by a unified framework adopted throughout all authorities entities.
Revenues for 2026 are projected at AED107.7 billion, together with basic reserves of AED5 billion.
Versatile fiscal plan
His Excellency Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh, Director Basic of DOF, acknowledged: “Saying a versatile, scalable monetary plan is necessary to reinforce fiscal sustainability, competitiveness, and transparency — key pillars that strengthen Dubai to draw extra investments.”
“The 2026 finances aligns with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2033 and the Dubai Financial Agenda D33 and displays the imaginative and prescient of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to reinforce authorities help for social improvement, housing for residents, authorities digitisation, scientific analysis, company agility, and world competitiveness,” His Excellency added.
“The Dubai Authorities stays dedicated to the steerage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance, in adopting disciplined fiscal insurance policies. This strategy established an yearly funded basic reserve, guaranteeing long-term fiscal sustainability and reinforcing the emirate’s monetary resilience in opposition to future challenges.”
Sectoral allocation of the 2026 finances
The 2026 finances displays the federal government’s robust dedication to people-centric improvement, with 28% of complete expenditure allotted to the social improvement sector overlaying well being, schooling, scientific analysis, housing, household welfare, youth, sports activities, seniors, retirees, and other people of dedication.
The federal government additionally allotted 18% of complete expenditure to the safety, justice, and security sector, guaranteeing it stays one of many emirate’s globally recognised strengths via enhanced preparedness and operational excellence.
Infrastructure investments — together with roads, bridges, tunnels, public transport, sewage methods, parks, renewable power services, waste administration, and repair buildings — account for 48% of the overall projected authorities expenditure for the 2026 fiscal yr. As well as, 6% of complete spending is allotted to authorities improvement initiatives that help efficiency enhancement and promote a tradition of excellence, innovation, and creativity.
Enhancing spending effectivity
Aref Abdulrahman Ahli, Govt Director of the Planning & Basic Funds Sector at DOF, acknowledged: “The medium-term monetary planning and the announcement of a three-year finances plan displays the imaginative and prescient of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.”
“The 2026 fiscal yr finances not solely meets the necessities of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2033 and past, but in addition showcases the emirate’s steady monetary place. This stability is attributed to disciplined monetary insurance policies rooted in finest practices, which contribute to reaching an working surplus of twenty-two% of complete authorities revenues, guaranteeing the specified monetary sustainability,” Ahli added.
“At DOF, we try to develop authorities spending effectivity programmes, and proceed to implement the programme and efficiency finances improvement plan, which aligns strategic planning with fiscal planning, reaffirming the Dubai authorities’s dedication to the rules of management and transparency. Authorities entities are enjoying a key function in guaranteeing the finances meets world requirements, a dedication mirrored in top-tier efficiency outcomes underneath the worldwide Public Expenditure and Monetary Accountability (PEFA) framework,” Ahli added.
Accelerating digital transformation
Ahmad Ali Meftah, Govt Director of the Central Accounts Sector at DOF, mentioned: “The Division’s sustained initiatives to foster innovation in income assortment methods are gaining large recognition. Strengthening transparency stays a core authorities precedence, and the Monetary Information Platform performs a key function on this effort by giving authorities entities, organisations, and people entry to correct and well timed monetary info. This openness helps knowledgeable decision-making and enhances the emirate’s total competitiveness.”
“DOF locations strategic significance on advancing the digitalisation of life in Dubai. It continues to implement the Dubai Cashless Technique, which goals to place the emirate as a world benchmark in decreasing reliance on money and increasing the adoption of safe, good digital funds. Based mostly on three pillars, Governance, Innovation, and Society, the technique enhances the effectivity of presidency monetary operations, accelerates the tempo of digital transformation, improves transparency, and facilitates entry to providers. In doing so, it helps the goals of the Dubai Financial Agenda D33 and reinforces the emirate’s standing as a world hub for the digital economic system,” he added.
“We proceed to develop initiatives that help Dubai’s strategic goals and advance its public finance ecosystem, together with the adoption of Worldwide Public Sector Accounting Requirements (IPSAS). This step positions Dubai among the many first governments within the area to implement these world requirements, which play a significant function in enhancing finances execution and enhancing total authorities efficiency,” he added.
Enhancing shared authorities providers
Hamed Abdulghafoor Alawadhi, Govt Director of the Shared Companies Sector at DOF, mentioned: “The Sector performs a pivotal function in supporting the Dubai authorities ecosystem via specialised programmes that increase operational effectivity and improve providers high quality. Moreover, the lately launched Dubai Authorities Unified Contact Centre (UCC) supplies a platform that enhances communication with prospects and delivers an built-in expertise, reflecting seamless collaboration throughout authorities entities,” he added.
“The 2026 Funds helps such efforts by offering the mandatory assets to advance technical infrastructure and drive innovation in shared providers, contributing to the emirate’s digital transformation targets, elevating spending effectivity, and aligning with the imaginative and prescient of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to construct a better, extra agile, and sustainable authorities,” Al Awadhi concluded.