Dubai: Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, a key entity under Dubai Chambers, has announced its successful support in establishing and expanding 1,210 digital startups in Dubai during 2024. This marks a significant 120 percent increase compared to 2023, highlighting Dubai's rising attractiveness to entrepreneurs and startups in key digital sectors.
According to Emirates News Agency, the chamber also trained 1,333 Emiratis in mobile application development fundamentals in 2024, marking a 170 percent growth from the previous year. This training was part of the 'Create Apps in Dubai' initiative, launched by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The initiative aims to train and qualify 1,000 Emiratis to enhance digital capabilities in the UAE and to triple the number of app developers in Dubai by 2025, supporting 100 national projects for advanced mobile application development.
Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, and Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, commended the chamber's efforts guided by the vision of His Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He stressed the importance of maximising advanced technology sectors' potential, boosting their contribution to Dubai's economy, and sustaining initiatives to develop national talent in smart applications. Al Olama also highlighted the need to stimulate digital startup growth to seize promising opportunities in Dubai.
Al Olama reiterated the commitment of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy to ensuring sustainable growth in digital economy sectors by enhancing infrastructure and regulatory frameworks. This approach aims to foster the prosperity of companies specialising in future technologies and bolster Dubai's competitiveness in the digital economy.
In February 2024, the chamber honoured winners of the App competition, organised under the 'Create Apps in Dubai' initiative, across four award categories. Designed to enhance Dubai's status as a hub for smart application development, the competition attracted over 1,100 entries, with UAE participants contributing 70 percent. A total of 12 finalists competed on the last day of the event.
Throughout 2024, the chamber conducted 20 international roadshows to promote Dubai's evolving digital landscape and raise awareness of Expand North Star, the world's largest event for startups and investors. The event, held in October, saw participation from over 1,800 startups and more than 1,200 investors from 100 countries. It also featured 65 unicorn companies with a combined market value exceeding US$400 billion.
The chamber's 'Business in Dubai' platform continued to support companies aiming to establish or expand in Dubai, offering services in collaboration with 77 partners. Additionally, the chamber organised 21 events in 2024 to empower startups, nurture talent, and improve the business ecosystem. It also signed 12 MoUs and issued six economic reports, reflecting the dynamism of Dubai's digital economy.