Support provided to 308 startups by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy in the first half of 2025, marking a 39% increase compared to the same period the previous year.
In the heart of the Middle East, the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy is playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of the digital economy. The organisation, under the leadership of Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, and His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications and Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, is actively fostering innovation and supporting digital startups.
The Chamber's efforts are focused on creating an ecosystem that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. In the first half of 2025, the Chamber supported 308 high-potential digital startups, demonstrating significant momentum in accelerating Dubai's digital economy. This number represents a 39% growth compared to the same period last year.
To enhance partnerships and showcase Dubai's advanced digital business ecosystem, the Chamber organised 10 events and 15 international roadshows during H1 2025. These roadshows featured presentations on Dubai's competitive advantages and the comprehensive support offered by the chamber to digital startups seeking to expand into the emirate. Winners from these roadshows earned fully sponsored access to the upcoming Expand North Star event—a major global startup and investor gathering hosted by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy scheduled for October 2025.
Expand North Star brings together the world's leading startups, innovators, investors, entrepreneurs, and digital leaders to explore growth opportunities in Dubai and contribute to shaping the future of the digital economy. This flagship event is a testament to Dubai's commitment to becoming a leading global hub for digital startups and innovation.
In addition to events and startup support, the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy has launched initiatives like the Entrepreneur’s AI Playbook and the Create Apps in Dubai initiative. The Entrepreneur’s AI Playbook educates entrepreneurs on leveraging AI tools throughout their startup journey, while the Create Apps in Dubai initiative aims to train 1,000 UAE nationals, tripling app developers, and launching 100 new homegrown app projects.
The Chamber is also working to strengthen the digital infrastructure and improve the legislative and regulatory environment. This commitment to creating a conducive environment for digital businesses is reflected in the additional AI ecosystem programs and events, including the AI Retreat, Dubai Universal Blueprint for AI, appointing Chief AI Officers in government, and AI Week aimed at schools to empower entrepreneurs with advanced AI technologies.
In summary, the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy is fostering innovation and startup growth via ecosystem-building international events, AI and digital transformation guides, training initiatives, pitch competitions, and high-profile networking platforms like Expand North Star. These concerted efforts position Dubai as a leading global hub for digital startups and innovation.
His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama stated that Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy is dedicated to building impactful pathways for digital startups to thrive, innovate, and expand from Dubai to the world. With such a visionary approach, the future of Dubai's digital economy looks bright indeed.
