The global startup ecosystem is in the midst of a strategic realignment and one city has placed itself at the centre of this shift: Dubai. Driven by the ambitious goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), the emirate is rapidly evolving from a regional commercial hub to a global launchpad for high-growth startups.
The D33 Agenda involves the launch of projects that will drive sustainable economic growth through innovative approaches and double the city’s GDP by 2033, making Dubai the fastest, safest and most connected city in the world.
This transformation of the startup ecosystem is underpinned by a combination of pro-business policies, including an open policy on foreign ownership, zero personal income tax, an accessible visa regime, and an unparalleled quality of life, which have fuelled a 120% annual growth in advanced tech startups relocating to the city in 2024.
The data speaks volumes. The Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy (DCDE) alone supported the establishment of 1,210 digital startups in 2024.
Leading this momentum is Expand North Star (ENS), the world’s largest startup and investor event, which recently concluded its 10th edition. The sheer scale of the 2025 event – hosting over 2,000 startups, 1,200 investors and 40 global unicorns – reinforced Dubai’s standing as the startup capital of the Middle East, Africa and South Asian region.
Across the Arabian Gulf sits the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. The India-Dubai Corridor, or the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), is poised to emerge as a major bilateral innovation pathway.
Indian startups are the largest foreign business entities in the city. Their participation at ENS increased by 33% in 2025, with over 300 Indian founders in sectors such as AI, SaaS, and healthtech leveraging Dubai’s specialised free zones and structured market access to scale globally.
To understand the core strategy behind this explosive growth, Inc42 sat down with Saeed Al Gergawi, vice-president of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy (DCDE), to discuss the startup ecosystem in Dubai. DCDE’s mission to act as an ecosystem enabler, and the role of Indian startups in realising the city’s ambition to be a top-three startup destination by 2033.
He also highlighted DCDE’s top priorities for strengthening Dubai’s position as a global entrepreneurship capital in the next five years.
Inc42: How has Dubai’s startup ecosystem matured in recent years, and which categories of startups are contributing most significantly to its momentum?
Saeed Al Gergawi: Dubai’s startup ecosystem has matured into a fast-growing, and opportunity-rich environment. The city combines advanced digital infrastructure, clear regulation and strong global connectivity, enabling founders to scale into the Middle East, Africa and South Asia from a single base.
Artificial Intelligence continues to drive activity, reflecting Dubai’s ambition to become a global leader in AI-enabled industries. Climate tech, fintech, healthtech, SaaS, ecommerce, mobility, and deep tech also show strong momentum as companies respond to regional demand and Dubai’s strategic focus on future industries.
A major strength of the ecosystem is its diversity. Entrepreneurs from more than 200 nationalities choose Dubai as a launchpad because the city makes it easy to build, test, and scale innovative products with access to capital, talent, and corporate partners. With ongoing regulatory improvements and strong government support, Dubai is positioned to remain one of the world’s most attractive hubs for high-growth startups.
Inc42: What support do the government, incubators, and platforms like the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy (DCDE) provide to startups?
Saeed Al Gergawi: Dubai offers founders a highly integrated support system that addresses the full spectrum of entrepreneurs’ needs – from regulatory clarity and availability of finance to talent access and market expansion. More than 20 specialised free zones provide tailored infrastructure, sector-focussed advantages, and smooth company set-up processes. These are complemented by an extensive network of incubators, accelerators, and innovation districts that help founders build their businesses in a supportive environment.
DCDE plays a key enabling role within this ecosystem. Our work spans market entry, business setup, capacity building, investor access, and international outreach. Through the ‘Business in Dubai’ platform, startups receive end-to-end support on company setup and access to trusted service providers, as well as business matching services to help them connect with the right partners and customers. We also work closely with regulators to ensure that the business environment remains agile and future-ready, particularly in AI, fintech, and digital assets.
Inc42: How would you define DCDE’s mission of making Dubai a global launchpad for startups?
Saeed Al Gergawi: Our goal is to accelerate the growth of Dubai’s digital economy and establish the city as the global launchpad for high-potential digital startups. We focus on attracting the world’s most promising digital companies, enabling founders to scale from Dubai, and developing the talent and innovation environment required for the digital industries to thrive.
DCDE works as an ecosystem builder. Our initiatives — such as global roadshows, Expand North Star, Create Apps in Dubai, Dubai Founders HQ, and Business in Dubai — are specifically designed to address the needs of startups at every phase of their journey.
Our ambition is to ensure that when founders look for a place to build global companies, Dubai stands out as the location where they can scale faster, reach overseas markets, and tap into strong industry networks. This aligns directly with the objectives of the D33.
Inc42: DCDE supported more than 1,200 startups in 2024. What enabled this scale?
Saeed Al Gergawi: This level of impact reflects a multi-layered approach built on proactive outreach, ensuring a frictionless business environment, and promoting strong investor connectivity.
Between January and September 2025, DCDE supported 582 digital startups in establishing or expanding their presence in Dubai. International companies represented 70% of these startups and AI-focused companies accounted for 21%. This demonstrates the global appeal of Dubai’s innovation landscape and the city’s emergence as a preferred destination for AI-driven businesses.
Nearly half of these startups benefited directly from establishment and accelerator support through Business in Dubai, while 32% leveraged additional business support services through the platform, reflecting its growing role as a gateway for new digital companies entering Dubai.
This is complemented by DCDE’s international roadshows, which visited 17 cities across 10 countries and engaged with more than 2,140 startups, investors, and ecosystem partners to introduce Dubai’s value proposition directly to founders and ensure they receive expert guidance on how to scale in the region.
Expand North Star catalyses these initiatives by bringing thousands of high-potential startups and investors to Dubai every year.
Inc42: Could you elaborate on the key initiatives, like Create Apps in Dubai and Business in Dubai?
Saeed Al Gergawi: Create Apps in Dubai is a strategic initiative designed to grow the emirate’s digital talent pipeline and accelerate the development of high-quality applications. The programme supports Dubai’s long-term ambition to become a global centre for the digital economy by empowering app developers, entrepreneurs, and emerging talent with the skills and opportunities needed to build and scale innovative applications.
Business in Dubai, on the other hand, is an innovative digital platform that streamlines the entire process of setting up a company in the emirate. It provides founders with clear guidance on licensing and market entry, connects them with trusted service providers for banking, compliance, and operational support, and offers business matching services that link startups with potential partners, clients and investors.
Such initiatives reduce complexity and open direct access to opportunities, enabling entrepreneurs to establish and scale in Dubai with greater speed and confidence.
Inc42: How does DCDE create collaboration between government bodies, corporates, and investors to ensure a frictionless growth journey?
Saeed Al Gergawi: DCDE acts as a connector across the ecosystem. We work with government partners to ensure regulations remain clear, responsive, and aligned with emerging technologies. This includes ongoing coordination on AI adoption, data frameworks, digital commerce, and other areas that directly affect how startups build and scale.
We also facilitate connections between startups and industry. Through Expand North Star and year-round engagements, founders gain access to corporates, potential buyers, and partners who can support commercialisation. Investors benefit from curated introductions and insight into emerging opportunities. This coordinated approach gives founders a smoother path to growth.
Inc42: Expand North Star has become one of the world’s largest startup gatherings. How does it support DCDE’s long-term strategy?
Saeed Al Gergawi: Expand North Star forms a key pillar of DCDE’s strategy to position Dubai as a global hub for digital entrepreneurship. It brings together founders, investors, and technology leaders from around the world, giving them direct exposure to Dubai’s opportunities and strengthening confidence in the emirate’s digital economy. The event plays a major role in attracting high-potential startups, deepening ecosystem partnerships, and supporting the long-term goals of the D33 Agenda.
The 2025 edition reflected this impact. It welcomed more than 2,000 startups, over 1,200 investors managing $1.1 Tn in assets, and 40 unicorns with a combined valuation of $900 Bn. Participation from the UAE was strong, with around 500 startups, including 116 Emirati-owned companies, showing off the depth of our homegrown innovation.
International engagement also grew, with first-time national pavilions from the US, Syria, Ecuador, and Chile, and particularly strong representation from Asia. Around 300 Indian startups took part.
On the sectoral representation side, AI was the most represented sector, followed by climate tech, healthtech, fintech, edtech, and deeptech. Specialised programmes such as ScaleX, Green Impact, DeepTech MEA, and the Digital Assets Forum provided founders with targeted support, market access, and investor connectivity.
Inc42: Indian startups are the largest foreign business entities in Dubai. What support system helped this?
Saeed Al Gergawi: India remains one of Dubai’s most important economic partners. During the first nine months of 2025 alone, 13,851 new Indian businesses joined the chamber, highlighting the strong attraction Dubai continues to hold for Indian entrepreneurs.
DCDE supports this growth through a multi-layered strategy. Dubai Chambers offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru provide Indian founders with direct access to Dubai’s ecosystem, offering guidance on licensing, regulations, and partnerships. Through these offices, founders receive personalised support long before they arrive in Dubai. We also work closely with key Indian organisations to create structured pathways for collaboration.
As I mentioned, platforms like Business in Dubai and Expand North Star continue to give Indian startups access to investors, partners, and customers, creating a clear path to regional and global expansion.
Inc42: How are Dubai’s India offices and agreements with Indian industry groups strengthening bilateral innovation ties?
Saeed Al Gergawi: Our India offices serve as on-ground facilitators for expansion. They help founders understand market entry steps, connect them with Dubai-based service providers, and support them in assessing the structure for growth in the region. Their presence in India’s tech and commercial hubs ensures continuous engagement and sustained relationship building.
Earlier this year, Dubai Chambers entered into pacts with several key bodies such as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry to create a seamless framework for cooperation and market entry. The agreements are focussed on enabling joint initiatives ranging from investment delegations to sector-specific programmes. They also help align policy priorities between India and Dubai, making it easier for startups to navigate regulatory and market entry processes.
Inc42: Under D33, Dubai aims to double its economy by 2033, with digital transformation as a major driver. How does DCDE envision its role in realising these milestones?
Saeed Al Gergawi: The D33 agenda places the digital economy at the centre of Dubai’s next phase of growth, with a target to generate more than $27 Bn in annual economic value from the digital transformation. DCDE contributes to these ambitions by building the environment that advanced digital industries need to succeed, from attracting global tech companies to supporting homegrown startups and strengthening the talent and regulatory foundations that enable innovation.
Our various initiatives and global roadshows directly support D33’s goals by strengthening the digital ecosystem, driving foreign investment, and helping companies scale from Dubai for a global leap. D33 also sets clear targets for entrepreneurship, including enabling 30 startups to reach unicorn status and helping 400 high-potential SMEs scale globally by 2033.
These objectives are closely aligned with DCDE’s role, and much of our work is designed to create the conditions for these milestones to be achieved.
Inc42: What are DCDE’s top three priorities for strengthening Dubai’s position as a global entrepreneurship capital in the next five years?
Saeed Al Gergawi: Our first priority is to intensify our efforts to attract and support high-potential startups and scaleups from around the world. This includes expanding our global roadshows, strengthening partnerships with international accelerators, and ensuring that founders have a predictable, supportive path to establishment and growth.
Second is to deepen the talent pool needed to support Dubai’s digital economy. We will continue advancing programmes that support the growth of digital skills and attract the world’s brightest talent, especially in AI, advanced software development, and emerging technologies.
Lastly, maintaining Dubai’s leadership in creating an agile regulatory environment that supports innovation while safeguarding trust. In digital sectors, this has emerged as a key competitive advantage. We remain committed to working closely with key public sector partners to shape Dubai’s forward-thinking, business-friendly environment.
Through this targeted approach, the chamber will continue to ensure Dubai remains one of the world’s most competitive and future-ready ecosystems for digital companies.
