Following the UAE’s initiatives towards becoming a digital hub, the most recent of which was the National Programme for Coders, an increasing number of global tech companies and software developers are looking to set up shop in the country.
One such company is the Romanian software development outfit RebelDot, whose CEO Tudor Ciuleanu told Arabian Business that Dubai is a “hot area for business” nowadays. RebelDot will be moving its headquarters from Romania to the UAE.
“I was considering expansion next into either the US or the UAE, but decided on the UAE for now following a couple of visits to the country. I feel there is a real potential for software development consultancy between Romania and the Emirates,” explained Ciuleanu.
Dubai-headquartered The Private Investment Group, which works with global businesses entering the GCC market, is supporting RebelDot in its move to the city and will be a co-owner of RebelDot UAE.
“The big push in Dubai in terms of the 100,000 coders initiative, the number of companies going through digitalisation processes, the open banking and a few other areas are all encouraging for global tech companies to consider expanding to the emirate,” said Alastair Lidel, founder & CEO at The Private Investment Group.
“The level of tech quality and delivery from other parts of the world, from Europe and the west, is quite high. So, it was the perfect time to allow that standard to enter the market here, giving options for companies already in Dubai and looking to improve, or the thousands of companies that are moving into the UAE at the moment, to get the type of work that they need to be done,” he continued.
In July, the UAE announced the National Program for Coders, which aims to attract and train more than 100,000 programmers. This followed a restructuring of Dubai Chamber, creating the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy and signalling the emirate’s intent to become a digital powerhouse – both big moves in Dubai’s journey to become a tech hub.
“Given the moves towards digitalisation and innovation in both the public and private sectors in the country, RebelDot will resonate well. For me, I see them offering this full 360 package that is able to create these innovative solutions rather than just being another tech talent supplier,” said Lidel
Software development is typically outsourced to developers in Eastern Europe, with Romania ranking 28th as the best location for outsourcing on the 2019 Global Services Location Index and being home to more than 100,000 developers. RebelDot disrupts this model, acting as a consultancy and working directly with businesses to solve an issue they are facing or come up with the new digital product, explained Ciuleanu.
“In Romania, we have a lot of software development companies that are doing outsourcing. In comparison to them, we are asking our clients what their challenges are, what they are trying to solve and come up with a solution with them,” he said.
“We have in-house user experience and interface design experts, architects, developers, project managers etc. so we can take an idea, problem or process and transform it into a new piece of technology that brings value to the business” added Ciuleanu.
RebelDot recently set up an office in Denmark and has a strong presence in Europe and the United States. It is expected to launch its Dubai headquarters by the end of November, and is already in talks with sovereign funds in different cities as it aims to work with both the private and public sectors, explained Lidel.
Follow us on
