Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, has launched 'The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World' campaign, a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening the UAE's position as a leading global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. The campaign seeks to provide comprehensive support to Emirati youth, enabling them to benefit from the UAE's unique economic environment through an integrated ecosystem of initiatives, platforms, and specialised programmes designed to foster innovation, accelerate growth, and diversify the national economy.
According to Emirates News Agency, the campaign, supervised by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, in collaboration with the UAE Government Media Office and the UAE Entrepreneurship Council, 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. These efforts aim to create an inclusive environment that nurtures entrepreneurial talent and unlocks economic potential.
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid emphasized the campaign's objectives, stating that it unites more than 50 entities from both the public and private sectors to train and nurture 10,000 Emirati entrepreneurs. The initiative aims to create thousands of economic opportunities and raise community awareness on the importance of leveraging the economic momentum the country is witnessing. A series of initiatives will be introduced, urging all institutions to actively participate and support the campaign's goals.
The UAE, home to 50 business incubators, sees small and medium-sized enterprises as vital to the national economy, contributing over 63% of the non-oil GDP. The country also leads among 56 global economies in supporting SMEs, providing an optimal environment for their growth and success.
The campaign includes the StartupEmirates.ae Digital Platform, an entrepreneurship support platform in partnership with the New Economy Academy. This platform offers mentorship programmes, shared workspaces, networking events, and training programs, aiming to attract 10,000 entrepreneurs and create 30,000 new jobs by 2030.
Another key element is the Entrepreneurship Programme, a unified initiative to train 10,000 Emiratis in entrepreneurship. This programme includes beginner and advanced tracks, equipping participants with foundational knowledge and practical skills for business setup, sustainable growth, and global expansion.
Other programmes include the Specialised Content Creator Programme in Economics and Entrepreneurship, the Project Management Experts Programme, and the UAE Tax Agent Programme. These initiatives aim to raise awareness, train Emiratis in construction project management, and license certified tax agents, respectively.
The campaign will also support the launch of 250 full-time Emirati real estate companies and promote entrepreneurship from an early age through the Young Entrepreneurs and Graduate Business Expo. Additionally, the Entrepreneur Participation in Federal Government Procurement aims to enable startups to compete in the federal procurement ecosystem, expanding access and competitiveness for startups and encouraging their contribution to innovation and economic growth.