Dubai unicorn to launch world’s first AI-powered XR smart lens with night vision, health monitoring, and zoom
StartUp
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Biotechnology startup
This Spanish biotech startup makes plants glow in the dark – and Dubai is next
Bioo CEO Pablo Vidarte says his bioluminescent landscaping will arrive in Dubai within months, following successful installations in Riyadh, Barcelona and Ibiza
business licenses
Sharjah launches Instant Licence service to boost investment and speed up business setup
Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) unveils Instant Licence service, allowing investors to start businesses in one day without a lease
Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry
UAE franchise sector generates $27.2bn revenue a year
Emirates Franchise Association leads event spotlighting franchising as key driver of entrepreneurship and sustainable economic growth in the UAE
DIFC
Dubai Future District Fund reports $1.65bn boost, support for 190 startups
Dubai Future District Fund provided support for over 190 startups and scale-ups last year
Entrepreneurs
UAE SMEs continue to show resilience, but confidence drops marginally
In a survey by RAKBANK in association with RFI Global, the UAE SME Confidence Index score showed 4-point drop from 61 to 57 in 2024
future
UAE Future 50 brings together forward-thinking startups to inspire entrepreneurs
Sheikh Hamdan witnesses launch of UAE Future 50 entrepreneur group
private equity
UAE AI startups top pick for investors amid growing global buzz, proactive government support
The UAE is well-placed to benefit from this trend, given its established and supportive economic infrastructure, experts say
accelerator programme
Google launches second ‘AI First’ accelerator for MENA-T startups amid AI investment boom
Google announces its 12-week ‘AI First’ accelerator to support Seed to Series A startups in MENA and Turkiye with AI tools and mentorship
abu dhabi start-ups
Google and Hub71 to support AI startups in Abu Dhabi
AI startups in Abu Dhabi look to possible $300,000 funding boost from Hub71 and Google collaboration
dubai free zone
Dubai free zone launches 60-minute business licence service
Dubai entrepreneurs can launch business in just one hour with new free zone licence service
digital economy
Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy supported 127 startups with launch or expansion in Q1
Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy sees significant increase in startup support to start 2025
startup ecosystem
Dubai’s iACCEL GBI, Ignyte partner to boost UAE startup ecosystem with global access
The collaboration will see portfolio startups from both ecosystems benefiting from increased visibility, growth support, and regional access
Meta
Meta, Startupbootcamp to accelerate agentic AI startups in MENA with Llama design drive
The 3-month initiative will equip MENA-based startups with tools, mentorship, and offer compute credits to build agentic AI applications
gcc startups
GCC sees massive surge in high-value startup funding deals in early months of 2025
The rising trend of high-value startup funding in the region, especially in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, is expected to continue in the coming quarters of this year, experts said