His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has launched a major new initiative, ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World’.
The strategic campaign aims to cement the UAE’s position as a premier global hub for entrepreneurship, innovation, and business growth.
The campaign aims to offer robust support to Emirati youth by leveraging the UAE’s dynamic economic landscape. It will deliver an integrated ecosystem of initiatives, platforms, and specialized programs designed to promote innovation, drive business growth, and contribute to the diversification of the national economy.
Strategic alliances power the UAE’s innovation drive
Supervised by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, in collaboration with the UAE Government Media Office and the UAE Entrepreneurship Council, the campaign brings together over 50 incubators and accelerators alongside a wide network of strategic partners from the public and private sectors, as well as leading national institutions and academic entities, to create an inclusive environment that nurtures entrepreneurial talent and unlocks economic potential.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai
“Today, the Cabinet launched the new national campaign ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World.’ The campaign brings together more than 50 entities from both the public and private sectors, with the aim of training and nurturing 10,000 Emirati entrepreneurs, creating thousands of economic opportunities, and raising community awareness on the importance of leveraging the economic momentum the country is witnessing. A series of initiatives will be introduced, with a call for all institutions to actively participate in this campaign and support its objectives. The UAE is currently home to 50 business incubators spread across the country. Small and medium-sized enterprises form the backbone of the national economy, contributing more than 63 percent of the non-oil GDP. The UAE also leads among 56 global economies in supporting SMEs and in providing the best possible environment for their growth and success.”
“The overarching goal is to inspire more young people to establish their own companies, play an active role in advancing economic development, and seize the vast opportunities offered by the UAE’s dynamic national economy,” HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid added.
Key initiatives under ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World’ campaign
StartupEmirates.ae Digital Platform, an entrepreneurship support platform launched in partnership with the New Economy Academy, provides free mentorship programs and connects youth with startups. The platform aims to attract 10,000 entrepreneurs and create 30,000 new jobs by 2030, offering shared workspaces, business networking events, training programs, and cross-border partnerships to position the UAE as a gateway for global startups.
The Entrepreneurship Program, aimed at training 10,000 Emiratis in Entrepreneurship, is a unified program that equips 10,000 Emirati men and women with both foundational knowledge and practical skills in entrepreneurship. It includes a beginner track focused on essential concepts and practices for aspiring entrepreneurs and an advanced track covering the full journey from business setup to sustainable growth and global expansion.
Image credits: WAM | Cropped by GBN
The Specialized Content Creator Program in Economics and Entrepreneurship is a national initiative to raise awareness about entrepreneurship by training 50 Emirati content creators specialized in economics and entrepreneurship.
The Project Management Experts Program will train, qualify, and license 500 Emiratis in residential construction project management. Participants will be empowered to oversee the entire lifecycle of housing projects, from planning to execution, and will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to support homeowners in building their residences.
The UAE Tax Agent Program will license 500 certified Emirati tax agents through an intensive training program over three years. The program includes VAT Diploma, Corporate Tax Diploma, implemented in collaboration with the Federal Tax Authority and the New Economy Academy.
The initiative will support the launch of 250 full-time Emirati real estate companies by incubating and supporting them. These companies will operate as licensed agencies, not just independent brokers.
The Young Entrepreneurs & Graduate Business Expo will include promoting entrepreneurship from an early age by organizing a nationwide expo across all educational institutions in partnership with the Ministry of Education. In addition to hosting a dedicated expo for graduate entrepreneurs to showcase their business projects to a wide audience of investors, potential partners, and support organizations, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
