Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy attracts 69 startups in H1 2023

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, one of the three chambers operating under Dubai Chambers, attracted 69 startups to the emirate in the first half of the year, as part of the chamber’s broader strategy to advance the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33).

The chamber conducted 12 roadshows in the first half of 2023. It held meetings with 279 companies including multinationals, SMEs, startups and scale-ups during the period under review to showcase Dubai’s growth potential.

“Our priorities include keeping pace with the wise leadership’s vision and achieving the objectives of D33 to consolidate the emirate’s reputation and attractiveness among international technology companies,” said Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, president and CEO of Dubai Chambers.

Lootah said the chamber plays a pivotal role in achieving the goals of the UAE’s Digital Economy Strategy and will continue to strive to build a diversified and flexible economy based on technology and digital knowledge.

The trade body launched several impactful initiatives during H1 2023, including activating constructive dialogue through a series of 10 sector-specific digital economy workshops and publishing two in-depth reports on Dubai’s digital economy ecosystems.

Dubai’s digital economy ecosystem

Meanwhile, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council launched the ‘Create Apps in Dubai’ initiative in March.

The initiative, which is led by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, is aimed at promoting a proactive approach to digital entrepreneurship among Emirati youth.

Create Apps in Dubai empowers homegrown talent to play a key role in achieving the UAE’s digital vision. It has set a target to train 1,000 Emiratis as part of the drive to triple the number of app developers in the city by 2025.

The initiative supports 100 new national projects for the development of cutting-edge apps, which will be made available in digital app stores over the next two years.

The comprehensive training programme teaches fresh graduates how to effectively implement their business ideas for mobile apps and is designed to inspire the community to shape the future of smart applications.

Dubai Chamber also unveiled a new initiative to launch a platform for digital companies that offers a comprehensive range of services aimed at helping tech startups, SMEs, and MNCs to set up and scale up in Dubai.

The initiative encompasses a full spectrum of support including licensing services, banking solutions, office space, cloud services, and more, creating a ‘one-stop shop’ for companies seeking to establish or expand their business in the emirate with the support of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.

The chamber signed an MoU with four companies and institutions that will provide discounts and exclusive offers in support of the initiative.

The agreements were inked with Dubai CommerCity, Safexpay, e& Group, and Telr as part of the first stage of the initiative – with more partners set to come on board in the future.

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy is preparing to host the first Expand North Star in October, which will gather venture capitalists, unicorns, and startups in the region and showcase Dubai’s growth opportunities.

Read: Dubai Chamber welcomes 50 SMEs to Dubai in H1 2023