Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, one of the three chambers operating under Dubai Chambers, has announced a new initiative to help tech companies set up and scale up in Dubai. The initiative will provide a comprehensive package of services designed to support tech and digital startups, SMEs, and multinational corporations planning to set up their businesses in Dubai.

The initiative was announced during a ceremony held today at Dubai Chambers' headquarters in the presence of Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, and Chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, and Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, with the participation of Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Executive Chairman of Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), and Amna Rashed Lootah, Board Member of Dubai Commercity.

During the event, the chamber signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for strategic partnerships with several companies in support of the initiative. Agreements were inked with Dubai CommerCity, Safexpay, e&, and Telr. The chamber is planning to enter into agreements with additional strategic partners ahead of the launch of the platform in September.

Al Olama commented, “The initiative reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to improve the ease of doing business and accessing services. The new initiative is another important step towards achieving our goals of attracting 300 digital startups to the emirate by 2024, and will further consolidate Dubai's position as a global capital of the digital economy.”

He continued, “We look forward to supporting the success of more innovative companies and further strengthening Dubai’s dynamic investment environment as we continue on our journey towards doubling the contribution of the digital economy to the UAE's non-oil GDP within 10 years."

Dr. Al Zarooni said, “This partnership reaffirms our commitment to boosting innovation across Dubai’s business ecosystem and contributing to its transformation journey in being a global hub for technology. We continue to strive to strengthen our partnerships and network with the Public-Private sectors to advance business and create significant opportunities for companies to expand their operations and grow.”

“At Dubai CommerCity, the first and leading free zone dedicated to digital commerce, we are increasing cooperation and efforts to support the government's strategy to advance the UAE’s digital economic growth. Throughout the years, we have been constantly developing business packages, services, and incentives to support companies within the digital and tech sectors. This has allowed us to affectively facilitate business operations and attract innovation and talent from all over the world,” he added.

The new initiative will offer convenient access to a range of services companies need to set up in Dubai, creating a ‘one-stop shop’ for licensing services, banking solutions, office space, cloud services, and other key requirements.

The chamber’s strategy (2022 – 2024) is focused on improving the digital business environment, developing support for digital companies, and attracting international digital businesses, with the goal of positioning the emirate as one of the world’s most agile and diversified technology-enabled digital hubs. Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy plays an instrumental role in cementing Dubai’s digital leadership position, as reflected in its recent success in attracting 30 digital startups during the first quarter of 2023.

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy is consistently working to amplify the success of Dubai’s digital ecosystem by hosting international roadshows and events to attract start-ups and global unicorn companies to the emirate. It has also launched several landmark initiatives to serve as a catalyst for digital growth, including hosting events and partnering with the renowned Expand North Star platform to bring hundreds of startups together with investors and other key stakeholders.

Building on these achievements, the chamber is preparing to organise the ‘Expand North Star’ summit, the world’s largest event dedicated to startups. The summit will be held in Dubai from 15th - 18th October and is expected to attract more than 1,400 exhibitors and 1,000 investors. Expand North Star will contribute to enhancing the momentum of entrepreneurship by connecting innovators and technology pioneers from across the globe with government partners, investors, and business accelerators.