The UAE is taking startups to the global stage

                                                            The UAE: The Entrepreneurial Capital of the World                                                                                  

The UAE is taking startups to the global stage

The UAE has secured its unique position in the entrepreneurial arena and proven itself as a major player on the global investment map, thanks to its ability to combine innovation with promising opportunities. This has contributed to boosting investor confidence and confirming its position as an ideal business destination.

The national campaign "The UAE: The Entrepreneurial Capital of the World," launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, aims to consolidate the UAE's position as a global destination for entrepreneurship.

 The campaign is overseen by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, in cooperation with the UAE Government Media Office, and includes the participation of the Emirates Entrepreneurship Council and more than 50 government and private entities, business incubators, accelerators, and academic institutions.

The statement by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, "The UAE is a land of opportunity and the ideal destination for promising companies and ideas," provides a clear compass for aspiring entrepreneurs and investors seeking global reach. The UAE, through its successful investment environment, has been able to transform dreams into reality, transform simple, creative ideas into global success, and enter the billion-dollar companies club.

His Highness's statement came on the occasion of the UAE ranking tenth globally as the largest destination for inward foreign direct investment (FDI). The country recorded an unprecedented level of inward FDI flows of AED 167.6 billion ($45.6 billion) in 2024, according to the World Investment Report 2025 of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). 

The UAE's investment ecosystem has become a global model to emulate, thanks to its stability, transparency, commercial openness, and ease of doing business, opening new horizons for global companies seeking innovation and expansion into future markets.

The impact of this global confidence among entrepreneurs and investors in the UAE's exceptional environment is evident in its status as a thriving unicorn ecosystem. Statistics released at the beginning of this year during the World Government Summit 2025 revealed that the UAE ranked 17th globally in hosting billion-dollar companies. 

Eleven unicorn startups operate in the UAE market, each valued at more than $1 billion. Five of these startups have emerged from the UAE and have entered the unicorn club: Tabby (valued at $3.3 billion), Vista Global (valued at $2.5 billion), Kitopi (valued at $1.55 billion), Andalusia Labs (valued at $1 billion), and Dubizzle (valued at $1 billion).

Success Stories

The success stories of companies that started and grew in the UAE and then quickly expanded globally are diverse. Among them is Careem, a successful example that demonstrates the ability of the UAE's encouraging investment environment to create success and transform pioneering ideas into successful global models. 

Magnus Olsson, Careem's co-founder, arrived in the UAE in 2006 and in 2011 established the company as a comprehensive app offering transportation, food ordering, payment, and other services.

Olsson and his team sought to create a world-class service in the UAE and the Gulf region. The company initiated stock options for its employees, a move aimed at fostering a culture of ownership. Careem's success culminated when it was acquired by Uber for $3.1 billion in 2019, marking a milestone in the region's startup scene.

Another success story is Dubizzle, founded in the UAE in 2005. Since its launch, it has become the leading platform for users to buy and sell anything in their community. In 2020, Emerging Markets Property Group, the Dubai-based owner of Bayut, and OLX Group, the owner of Dubizzle, announced the merger of their operations in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, creating a multi-billion dollar company with a market capitalization of AED 3.6 billion.

Yalla Group Limited, the first UAE-based technology unicorn to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is one of the largest social media and gaming companies in the Middle East and North Africa. Last August, it announced revenues for the second quarter of this year exceeding AED 310.7 million ($84.6 million), a growth rate of 4.1 percent, reflecting the company's continued success in achieving its strategic objectives and developing its operations.

An Exceptional Environment

There is no doubt that this enthusiasm among entrepreneurs for investing in the UAE stems from the country's ideal environment for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow and develop, thanks to the unique incentives it offers, ultimately enabling them to expand and achieve sustainable growth. 

This also supports the adoption of artificial intelligence and digital tools in innovation and entrepreneurship, creating new opportunities to accelerate SMEs. The UAE has also been keen to develop numerous strategies and initiatives related to digital tools, and has provided a technological and digital infrastructure that has strengthened its position as a leading global destination for artificial intelligence and innovation.