The UAE: A Thriving Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
The country has the fastest-growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It offers a dynamic and thriving environment for startups, making it an ideal market for new businesses. Its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa provides unparalleled access to global markets, enabling startups to tap into a diverse customer base. Between the second half of 2021 and the end of 2023, the value of the startup ecosystem in the UAE was USD 4.2 billion.

The country’s robust infrastructure, including state-of-the-art logistics networks and advanced technology ecosystems, supports innovation and scalability. The UAE government actively fosters entrepreneurship through initiatives such as free zones, which offer tax incentives, 100% foreign ownership, and streamlined regulatory processes. The nation’s affluent population, high internet penetration and growing emphasis on digital transformation create fertile ground for innovative products and services. With a business-friendly climate and a commitment to fostering startups, the UAE is a gateway to regional and global success.

The Importance of Localization
Localizing solutions is crucial to thriving in the UAE market due to its unique cultural, linguistic, and societal nuances. The UAE is a melting pot of diverse nationalities, yet it remains deeply rooted in the Arabic language and Emirati culture.

Adapting products or services to align with local customs, preferences, and regulations enhances their appeal and fosters trust among customers. For example, offering bilingual support in Arabic and English, respecting Islamic values in marketing, and tailoring offerings to align with local tastes can significantly boost a startup’s success.

Cultural awareness is essential when entering a new market, as it helps businesses build meaningful connections with local customers, partners, and stakeholders. Understanding and respecting cultural norms, values, and practices can prevent misunderstandings and enhance trust, making products or services more relatable and appealing.

It also allows companies to tailor their marketing strategies, communication styles, and business operations to align with local preferences. For instance, digital marketing campaigns in the UAE should consider cultural sensitivities, using messaging that aligns with Islamic principles and local traditions.

Understanding regional business etiquette and collaborating with local partners can help navigate regulatory landscapes effectively. Localization helps understand the market’s identity and builds stronger connections with consumers, positioning a business for sustainable growth in the UAE.

Programs like Anjal Z support global early childhood development startups that solve ECD challenges through mentorship, expert sessions on localization, financing and introductions to the local ecosystem. The program showcases how startups can successfully integrate into the UAE’s ecosystem by aligning their solutions with national priorities. Many of the Anjal Z startups have successfully localized their products in Arabic, keeping local cultural nuances at heart to cater to the local audience.

By demonstrating cultural sensitivity, businesses can foster stronger relationships, navigate challenges more effectively and position themselves for long-term success.

The Power of Networking
Networking for businesses in the UAE is a highly strategic and relationship-driven process, influenced by the region’s rich cultural emphasis on trust and personal connections. Events such as trade shows, industry conferences, and business forums are common and provide invaluable opportunities to meet potential partners, clients, and investors.

Traditional face-to-face interactions are highly valued, and building rapport often involves attending social gatherings or informal meetings over coffee or meals. Understanding and respecting local customs, such as greeting with the right hand and fostering long-term relationships before discussing business, is key to successful networking in the region. Digital platforms like LinkedIn are also widely used, but in-person connections remain paramount in establishing trust and credibility in the UAE business landscape.

The Value of Mentorship
Finding a local mentor is a strategic move when entering a new market, and the UAE is no exception. Mentorship provides startup founders with guidance, insights, and support to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship. Experienced mentors offer real-world advice drawn from their own successes and failures, helping founders make informed decisions and avoid common pitfalls.

Mentors can provide strategic direction, offer feedback on business plans, and introduce valuable connections within the industry or investment community. Organizations such as Hub71 and Dubai Future Foundation offer mentorship programs and incubation support for startups (Hub71, Dubai Future Foundation). The Anjal Z program offers access to experts and local industry leaders to gain insights into business practices, particularly within the UAE context.

Beyond practical advice, mentors also serve as a source of motivation and accountability, encouraging founders to stay focused on their goals. For startups facing uncertainty and rapid growth, mentorship significantly enhances a founder’s ability to lead effectively and build a sustainable business.

Government Support for International Startups
Investing in international startups can significantly boost the local economy by introducing innovative ideas, technologies, and business models that drive growth and diversification. The UAE has launched multiple initiatives to attract foreign entrepreneurs, such as the Golden Visa program, which offers long-term residency for investors, entrepreneurs, and highly skilled professionals.

These startups often bring expertise and solutions tailored to address pressing challenges, such as sustainability, healthcare, and digital transformation. By fostering collaboration between local businesses and global startups, economies benefit from knowledge transfer, job creation, and enhanced global competitiveness.

Supporting international startups also encourages foreign direct investment (FDI) and strengthens the UAE’s position as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. This not only stimulates economic activity but also helps tackle major societal issues with fresh perspectives and cutting-edge solutions, fostering long-term prosperity and resilience.

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The event was held in collaboration with the National Program of Coders, and supported by sponsors such as Emirates NBD, EDGE Group, Hale Education Group and the University of Birmingham, Dubai.

The three-day event culminated with a grand finale on 16 March 2025 at the University of Birmingham and was attended by students, teachers, parents and partners. The event’s theme for this year, ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing’ aligned with the Nation’s strategic vision to harness artificial intelligence for societal advancement.

The winning team, ‘Machine Mindset’, presented an AI-powered emotion detection system that analyses students’ emotions in real-time using DeepFace and face recognition. Runner-up teams at the event included ‘Data Minors’ and ‘ModernAItes’, both from GEMS Modern Academy. ‘STEMPALS’ from Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills were adjudged the Best Female-majority team, and ‘Desert Innovators’ from the American Academy for Girls were declared Best Emirati-majority team.

A resounding success, the event showcased the incredible talent and innovative spirit of 289 young AI enthusiasts across 34 Nationalities and 44 registered schools, with participants working tirelessly to develop creative solutions addressing critical aspects of mental and financial wellbeing.

Dr. Abdulrahman Al Mahmoud, Director at the Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office, said: “Strategic partnerships within the UAE’s AI ecosystem reflect the UAE’s vision and commitment to leveraging AI for the benefit of humanity. These collaborations bring together diverse sectors to create innovative solutions that address global challenges. By uniting key players, the UAE is driving transformative change that empowers both industries and communities.”

Dr. Al Mahmoud further added, “Partnerships have the power to fuel impactful AI innovations, shaping a resilient, sustainable future for all. Through this unified approach, the UAE is paving the way for a future where AI drives progress and serves humanity at its core.”

Miguel Rio-Tinto, Group Chief Digital and Information Officer at Emirates NBD, said: “We are incredibly impressed by the ingenuity and dedication displayed by the students at InnovAIte 2025. The solutions they developed demonstrated the transformative potential of AI in addressing critical real-world and societal challenges, and the winning teams showcased exceptional talent in leveraging AI to create tangible, life-enhancing solutions.”

He added: “Emirates NBD is proud to have supported this initiative and to play a role in nurturing the next generation of AI leaders. The event served as a platform to connect and engage with top digital talent, presenting us early access to AI experts who have the potential to drive and contribute to the bank’s long-term success.”

Student presentations, workshops, and speaking sessions were held at the grand finale, where a panel of 25 esteemed judges, including experts from Emirates NBD, the University of Birmingham, EDGE Group, and Hale Education Group, as well as subject experts in various sectors evaluated the projects based on innovation, feasibility, impact and presentation.

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The UAE ranked first among high-income countries in 11 of 13 key indicators, evaluating the institutional frameworks supporting entrepreneurship based on expert assessments. The country outperformed globally in areas including financing for entrepreneurial projects, ease of fund access, government policies supporting entrepreneurship, government-related tax and bureaucracy policies, government entrepreneurship programs, integration of entrepreneurship in school and high education, research and development transfer, commercial and professional infrastructure, ease of market entry in terms of burdens and regulatory frameworks, as well as social and cultural standards towards entrepreneurship.

A Comprehensive Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
On this occasion,H.E. Alia Bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, said, “Thanks to the support and directives of the UAE’s wise leadership, our country has built a comprehensive and forward-thinking entrepreneurial ecosystem, driving its advancement as a global leader in entrepreneurship. This is reflected in the UAE’s top global ranking for the fourth consecutive year as the world’s best environment for entrepreneurship and the preferred destination for start-ups.”

H.E. added, “This accomplishment highlights the UAE’s dedication to creating a dynamic and attractive environment for entrepreneurship, aligned with global best practices. By empowering start-ups to expand into digital and advanced economic sectors and providing innovative financing solutions, the UAE is solidifying its position as a global hub for the new economy by the next decade, in line with the objectives of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.”

Leading National Initiatives
H.E. Al Mazrouei continued, “Our national efforts continue to focus on enhancing the UAE’s position in global entrepreneurship competitiveness indicators and increasing the success rate of entrepreneurs from 30 per cent to 50 per cent within the next decade. Aligned with the new entrepreneurship framework, these efforts foster a culture of innovative entrepreneurship, offer comprehensive incentives for establishing business, support growth enablers of promising SMEs, and strengthen their access to global markets from the UAE.”  

$8.7 billion investment to enhance the competitiveness of the entrepreneurship ecosystem
According to the report, the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the UAE continues to thrive and make progress globally, driven by supportive business and economic policies, strategic government initiatives, and a competitive investment climate. A key factor in this success is the country’s investment of $8.7 billion under the “Project of the 50” initiative, aimed at fostering innovation and the growth of SMEs.  This initiative, along with the country allowing 100 per cent foreign ownership of businesses and record-breaking foreign direct investment inflows in 2023, continues to enhance the UAE’s position as a global hub for entrepreneurs.

High-Level Entrepreneurship Culture
The report highlighted that the entrepreneurship culture in the UAE is marked by a high level of awareness and ambition among its people. Around 67 per cent of adults either know an entrepreneur or believe they have the necessary skills to start a business. Additionally, 70 per cent of the UAE population sees strong opportunities for launching a business locally, while 78 per cent of new entrepreneurs prioritise social and environmental impact over profitability. Meanwhile, 75 per cent of early-stage entrepreneurs plan to expand their teams, intending to hire at least six employees in the next five years. The report also revealed that 80 per cent of entrepreneurs plan to integrate technology into their business operations, and 78 per cent of new entrepreneurs are eager to build significant wealth or earn a high income. Moreover, 55 per cent of UAE entrepreneurs cater to clients outside the UAE market, reinforcing the country’s position as a global business and investment hub.

UAE ranks first globally in the “National Entrepreneurship Context Index”
The UAE also secured top spot globally in GEM’s National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI), reflecting the strength of the country’s entrepreneurial environment, which was evaluated based on a points system derived from the opinions of entrepreneurship experts. This reinforces the UAE’s vision of reaching one million SMEs by 2031.

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What inspired you and your co-founder, Dr. Tarek Hegazy, to establish Opteam, and how does your combined experience influence the company’s vision?
Well, first of all, my father being a co-founder means I have a professional and personal answer to this question. The professional answer is that we both come from different sides of the same industry, which is extremely complimentary.

Dr Tarek has worked in and researched construction project management for 20+ years, while I spent my career in the business side of enterprise software, including project management. His industry knowledge and my business experience means we are very well equiped to take on this market.
On the personal side if I am being truly honest, it is an emotional and meaningful journey for me to take my father’s life’s work and contribute to his legacy.

Can you elaborate on how Opteam’s AI-driven construction management software addresses the specific challenges faced by the construction industry in the MENA region?
You might be surprised to learn that the MENA region suffers from the highest amount of time and cost overruns than anywhere else in the world! Although projects in the region are extremely innovative and ambitious, execution still relies on tools that were invented in the 70’s (around the same year the internet was invented).

It is both a well-researched conclusion and a known fact that proper tracking is the most effective way to combat delays. So Opteam uses AI to automate the extremely manual process of collecting progress data from the site. Basically, the system communicates with the team over WhatsApp and dashboards and reports the latest status in the most reliable and least intrusive way possible.

With the recent pre-seed funding, what are your immediate priorities for enhancing Opteam’s AI capabilities and expanding your team?
Our goal now is to drive sales and adoption of Opteam primarily in the UAE. As we have recently launched the product and have current users, it is critical for us to continue to shape the solution according to the needs of the industry. So our biggest priority is being active on the ground, marketing the product, engaging with customers and feeding the input directly to our tech team to fuel improvements. To that end, we are growing our dev team to keep up with the very fast pace.

How does Opteam’s generative scheduling feature work, and what advantages does it offer over traditional project management methods?
Given that over 70% of projects face unavoidable delays, a key question is not just how to prevent them, but also how to react effectively when they occur. Opteam’s generative scheduling feature allows project managers to generate new, alternate pathways to complete the project from any point in time. This allows them to generate scenarios that achieve their objectives within their resource limitations.
If you’ve seen the movie The Avengers, there is a scene where Dr. Strange peers into the future to view all the possible outcomes of the coming battle. This allowed him to identify the best outcome, and informed his decisions to make this result a certainty. That’s essentially what we’ve done for project management!

Could you discuss the strategic significance of your partnerships with investors like Plus VC, Dar Ventures, SIAC Ventures, and Oraseya Capital?
We at Opteam are extremely fortunate to have such a powerful lineup of investors. Each investor brings a unique value that is essential to our growth, and each one’s participation in our journey represents its own unique validation.

Dar Ventures is owned by Dar Al Handasah, one of the largest construction consultants in the region.
SIAC Ventures is owned by SIAC, one of the most strategic construction contractors in the region.
Oraseya Capital is owned by DIEZ, which has several construction projects for which they are the owner.
And, PlusVC is one of the region’s most active and well respected VCs, representing the business and startup world. This gives us critical access to finance, operational, sales/marketing, and other cirtical support and resources

What strategies are you implementing to establish and grow Opteam’s market presence in the UAE and Saudi Arabia?
The first thing is that Opteam is extremely consumable to use. Companies in UAE and Saudi can simply create an account on the website, and they get a free trial with unlimited features. To start using the software, they just drag and drop their schedule file. It’s that easy.

In addition to this, the strongest pathway to B2B startup success in this region is network. We are grateful that companies have been seeing such value that our inbound traffic is quite high and fills our pipeline with new opportunities.

How does Opteam’s platform integrate advanced data analytics, mobile progress tracking, and automation to optimize construction project outcomes?
Did you know that 15% of construction time is being spent looking for information? This is because of the heavy reliance on manual data entry, multiple tools, and spreadsheets being sent between the office and the construction site to collect progress. On average, just for an update to be preported, the process of collecting and organizing progress data takes 2 weeks.

Opteam automates communication to the people on the site, sending progress data straight to their mobile. This allows Opteam to give real-time dashboards and insights on the latest status, flag risks, and create recovery strategies for the project. On average, we see that the task of collecting progress can be simplified by up to 80%.

Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals for Opteam, and how do you envision your technology transforming the construction industry?
95% of construction data goes unused. We will most certainly target this data and invest more into our AI analytics capabilities. By doing so, countless manual and extremely expensive processes, such as analyzing delays, preparing claims, and more, can be automated.

The other area we are examining is creating a 3D visualization of the construction site. This would further reduce the gap between the office and the construction site teams and provide critical information when it is needed.

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“We are proud of our long-standing partnership with the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, which continues to empower Emirati entrepreneurs by providing them with opportunities to showcase their exceptional products and services,” said Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO of Miral. “As we celebrate the Year of Community, this initiative has greater significance, as it not only drives economic development but also strengthens the social fabric of our communities, ensuring a more prosperous and connected future for all.”

Mouza Al Nasri, Acting CEO of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, also added: “We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with Miral for the third consecutive year in this special event, which reflects our commitment to supporting and empowering Emirati businesses by providing a platform to showcase their innovative projects and engage with the community. We hope that this partnership will have a positive economic impact that enhances the competitiveness of national businesses and reflects the innovation and creativity of Emirati entrepreneurs.”

The fourth edition of Waterfront Nights is free to enter and offers a bigger and more vibrant experience. The event also features free workshops, family-friendly activities, entertainment, and a variety of food stalls offering local and international favourites.

The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development is a non-profit organisation established by the Abu Dhabi Government to foster entrepreneurship. Its mission is to develop and enhance the culture of entrepreneurship, encourage innovation, and provide support through a balanced ecosystem for small and medium-sized enterprises in the UAE. The Fund also offers Emirati entrepreneurs and business owners access to markets, resources, mentorship, and funding.

Waterfront Nights features local brands supported by the Fund, including Plowing Head, which offers postpartum hair loss treatment, and Cat Eye Beauty, showcasing high-quality makeup products. Additionally, EQ Gallery, owned by Emirati artist Eiman Al Qubaiti, displays her masterpieces in various forms, such as abstract art, oil painting, mixed media, decoupage, pouring art, resin, and landscape artworks. 90s Oud and  WOUD, contribute to offering exquisite Arabic fragrances through their unique and distinguished oud and bukhoor scents.

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Organized by a group of dedicated Dubai College students, the hackathon is run in collaboration with the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office and is supported by the UAE National Program for Coders, EDGE Group, Emirates NBD, Hale Education Group, and the University of Birmingham Dubai. This unique event will challenge students to create practical AI-driven solutions to real-world problems.

The inaugural InnovAIte Hackathon in 2024 was a resounding success, drawing 120 students from 25 nationalities and 45 schools across the UAE. Hosted at the DIFC Innovation Hub, the event offered over AED 10,000 in prizes and was supported by leading organizations like OpenAI and the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office.

Aryav Odhrani, Cofounder and Director of InnovAIte, said: “At InnovAIte, we aim to empower students to shape the future of AI through their creativity. Our goal is simple: to provide a platform where students can innovate, solve meaningful problems, and become the next generation of AI leaders. We’re proud to support the UAE’s vision for technological advancement.”

The Hackathon will begin with two days of online collaboration, Teams of 4-5 students from across the UAE will work together on projects centered around a theme revealed at the start of the event. On the third day, participants will gather in person at the University of Birmingham Dubai for the grand finale, where teams will present their projects to a panel of judges.

With a focus on creativity, impact, and technical execution, the teams will compete for over AED 40,000 in prizes, including cash awards and exclusive university admissions counseling sessions.

The InnovAIte Hackathon is gaining momentum as a key event for shaping the future of AI innovation in the UAE, with influential leaders from the AI community backing its vision.

Sana Al Dauomi, SVP for Human Capital at EDGE Group, emphasized the hackathon’s role in shaping future innovators: “InnovAIte can provide a supportive environment in which students can hone their skills and benefit from this pool of experience. EDGE invests to guarantee that the next generation will have the necessary tools and guidance to generate the impact they need.”

Miguel Rio Tinto, Group Chief Digital and Information Officer at Emirates NBD, added: “InnovAIte will give the next generation an opportunity to showcase their inventive ideas to create solutions that significantly impact society. The sky is the limit when working with artificial intelligence and we, at Emirates NBD, encourage and applaud the founders of this initiative.”

Peter Davos, Founder and CEO of Hale Education Group, expressed his enthusiasm for the event: “We are thrilled to support the UAE Innovate Hackathon, which will inspire and challenge the next generation of changemakers and thought leaders. Today’s students stand to benefit tremendously from participation in this event.”

The InnovAIte Hackathon is also committed to diversity and inclusivity, offering special prizes for the Best Female Majority Team and Best Emirati Majority Team to encourage wider participation in the tech field.

With registration now open, the event expects to host 60 teams of students from Years 10-13 (Grades 10-12). It promises to be an exciting, dynamic event where young innovators will collaborate, learn, and develop the skills they need to succeed in the fast-evolving world of AI.

To register or for more information, visit www.uae-innovAIte.com/registration.

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Founded in 2021 by Nader Abdelrazik and Mustafa Eid, MoneyHash has rapidly become a pivotal player in the fintech landscape. The company’s unified API and streamlined checkout experience address the complexities of payment infrastructure in the MEA region, empowering businesses to thrive.

“We are incredibly honored to be named a UAE Future 100 winner,” said Nader Abdelrazik, CEO of MoneyHash. “This recognition is a testament to our team’s dedication to transforming payments from a liability into a strategic advantage for businesses operating in emerging markets. We are proud to contribute to the UAE’s vision of becoming a global hub for innovation and the new economy.”

MoneyHash’s selection follows its recent $5.2 million pre-Series A funding round, led by Flourish Ventures, positioning the company for accelerated growth and expanded reach across the MEA region and beyond. The platform tackles critical challenges such as high payment failure rates and fraud risks. By integrating over 300 payment service providers across 100+ markets, MoneyHash enables businesses to efficiently scale their payment operations.

The UAE Future 100 initiative highlights companies from a diverse range of new economy sectors, including fintech, sustainability, creative industries, health technology, and more. MoneyHash’s focus on fintech innovation directly supports the UAE’s transition towards a flexible, innovation-based economic model, aligning with the “We the UAE 2031” vision.

MoneyHash’s current portfolio includes regional unicorns like Tamara and Kitopi, and the company remains dedicated to simplifying and optimizing payment processes for businesses across the MEA region, contributing to the development of the fintech ecosystem and supporting the UAE’s vision for a diversified and sustainable economy.

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The $350M acquisition marked the largest exit in Pakistan’s technology sector to date, with the founders now channeling their entrepreneurial expertise and capital back into the ecosystem through a unique venture building approach from their UAE headquarters.

Having already deployed over $40M across their portfolio – including in four growth-stage companies built from idea stage, seven investments in early-stage companies, and an exit valued at $350 million – this new $100M commitment represents a significant expansion of their venture building activities. With a dedicated team of 650+ professionals, Disrupt.com provides not just capital but also the technical and operational expertise startups need to scale.

“Now is the time to be doubling down on our experience,  financial investment and commitment required to help build the next wave of startups that will shape the future of the world as we know it. With Web 3.0 in its infancy and AI storming into our lives, the opportunity to problem solve and create businesses that will fit the needs of how people live and work is up for the taking. Our region can not only keep up, but lead the way. We are excited to see where this journey will take us,” said founding partner Aaqib Gadit.

Unlike traditional venture capital firms, Disrupt.com employs a three-pronged approach to creating value: building their own startups from scratch, co-building ventures alongside external founders, and making strategic investments in early-stage startups and VC funds. Through their unique ‘CoBuild’ model, they function as fractional co-founders, providing dedicated engineering, go-to-market, and operations teams to drive early adoption in a capital-efficient way.

The firm’s $100M commitment targets five strategic sectors: artificial intelligence as a cross-cutting theme, plus cybersecurity, Web3.0, automotive technology, and retail innovation. Disrupt.com primarily targets pre-seed to Series A stage startups that demonstrate strong organic growth potential and clear paths to profitability, rather than pursuing growth at all costs.

The announcement comes as regional funding has declined sharply, with MENA venture capital investment down 29% to just under $2B in 2024, according to Magnitt. Saudi startups saw a 44% funding drop to $750M, while UAE funding decreased 8% to $613M, creating a challenging environment for early-stage ventures.

Disrupt.com’s current portfolio showcases their model’s effectiveness, including ZigChain, a Web3.0 platform that has scaled to 500,000+ users and hundreds of millions in managed assets; PureSquare, a cybersecurity venture; and UAE-homegrown fitness apparel brand Squatwolf. The firm has already deployed capital as a strategic investor in several AI-focused startups including organizational transformation platform Agentnoon and climate action scaling tool Ahya.

Bartolome R. Bordallo, Co-Founder & CEO of ZigChain, highlighted the venture builder’s distinctive approach: “Some investors write checks. Disrupt.com builds with you. They’ve helped us scale from a few early adopters to managing hundreds of millions in assets and launching our own blockchain.”

Anam Khalid and Wajdan Gul, Co-founders of UAE-based fitness apparel brand Squatwolf, emphasize the founder-first approach: “With Disrupt, you get founder-friendly partners because they’re founders themselves. They understand our challenges and opportunities in a way traditional investors simply cannot.”

Looking ahead, Disrupt.com will direct its $100M commitment toward ventures with strong product-market fit, well-researched idea-market alignment, and robust unit economics pointing toward profitability.

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Highlighting its growing prominence in AI enterprise density, the UAE stands alongside innovation hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong. This milestone reflects the UAE’s strategic vision to become a global leader in AI, driven by progressive policies, robust infrastructure, and targeted investments.

Dmitry Kaminskiy, General Partner of Deep Knowledge Group, stated: “The UAE’s ranking among the top 10 countries for AI companies per capita demonstrates how targeted investments are creating an ecosystem where AI innovation thrives. This is a blueprint for how nations can transform strategic vision into measurable impact.”

Government strategic support and investment
The UAE has consistently demonstrated its commitment to AI at the highest levels. In 2017, the UAE became the first nation to appoint an AI Minister, a groundbreaking move to embed AI at the core of its national strategy. The government’s AI Strategy 2031 aims to contribute AED 335 billion (USD 91 billion) to GDP by 2031 and reduce operational costs by 50% through AI innovation. 

The UAE has also established the AED 10 billion (USD 2.7 billion) Dubai Future Accelerator Fund to support AI innovation projects. Complementing this is the nation’s business-friendly environment and zero personal income tax.

Talent attraction and development
To support its AI ambitions, the UAE is rapidly building a talent pipeline. Key initiatives include the Golden Visa program, offering 10-year residency to AI professionals, and the establishment of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the world’s first dedicated AI research university. Partnerships with top global universities have further enhanced the UAE’s AI research capabilities, supported by high-value scholarships and advanced research funding. As a result, the UAE boasts an annual AI talent growth rate of 30%.

Infrastructure excellence
The UAE’s world-class digital infrastructure underpins its leadership in AI innovation. With over 90% 5G network coverage, 97.1% internet penetration, and the largest data center cluster in the Middle East, the nation provides an unparalleled environment for AI companies to thrive. Its well-developed smart city infrastructure offers the perfect testing ground for cutting-edge AI applications. 

UAE’s AI success story: G42
Abu Dhabi-based G42 is a shining example of the UAE’s AI prowess. Specializing in healthcare, finance, and smart city solutions, G42 has become a global leader in AI innovation. In 2024, Microsoft invested USD 1.5 billion into the company, forming a partnership to establish AI research institutes in Abu Dhabi to develop “responsible” AI.

G42 also introduced Jais, an open-source Arabic AI language model with 30 billion parameters. Trained on extensive Arabic data and English computer code, Jais highlights G42’s contributions to advancing AI in the region. Currently valued at over USD 10 billion, G42 embodies the UAE’s vision of becoming a global AI hub.

With its strategic initiatives, investments, and infrastructure, the UAE is well-positioned to lead the global AI revolution. The Global AI Competitiveness Index highlights the country’s impressive progress and underscores its dedication to shaping a future where AI is a driving force for innovation and economic growth.

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This project, hosted by MegazoneCloud and executed by KOSA, helps Korean software companies to expand their global footprint. It specifically supports activities designed to secure global references for Korean software companies, including technological advances, overseas demonstration (PoC/Pilot), and the establishment of local subsidiaries, by leveraging the host company’s global cooperation framework, local network, and cloud infrastructure.

The 5 participating companies 

Through the 2024 project, the five enterprises benefited from comprehensive support, including cloud technology consulting, local market demonstrations, subsidiary incorporation, public relations and marketing activities, participation in the Middle East Digital Innovation Day, and access to local networks. These initiatives significantly enhanced the global recognition of the companies and their solutions, while also facilitating the localization necessary for successful market entry.

Notably, the Digital Innovation Day, held in the UAE, provided participating companies with the opportunity to expand their local network by engaging in investor relations (IR) pitching sessions with key local organizations. Additionally, legal consulting services were offered to assist in the establishment of local subsidiaries, further expand the participants’ presence in the market.

An official from a participating company said, “The Digital Innovation Day event held in the UAE gave us firsthand insight into the significant demand for Korean software solutions in the Middle East,” adding, “It also provided an opportunity to identify numerous references and investor requirements, which were invaluable in shaping our market entry strategy.”

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