ABU DHABI - The Ministry of Economy has announced that Creative Zone, one of the UAE's largest consulting and business establishment companies, has joined the NextGenFDI initiative through foreign direct investments which launched in July 2022, with the aim of attracting digitally advanced companies to enter the UAE market, and developing the next generation of startups in the field of technology, according to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two sides.

The NextGenFDI programme, which was launched in July 2022, aims to attract digitally-advanced companies into the UAE market and develop the next generation of technology-based companies.

Creative Zone will support the goals of the NextGenFDI initiative by providing investors and entrepreneurs with innovative solutions that will contribute to their growth in the UAE.

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said: “The UAE places a high value on entrepreneurship and acknowledges it as a key engine for innovation and creativity, given its potential to sustainably support the country's economic growth. Additionally, it is consistent with the directions of the wise leadership and objectives of the ‘Fifty Years’ goals and the UAE Centennial Plan 2071.”

“The agreement further confirms the UAE's intentions to assist and promote emerging businesses and their growth. Through the initiative, Creative Zone will support these objectives by attracting new startups to the UAE and offering a range of business support services, while also boosting their capacity to grow, develop, and support the country's digital business environment,” he added.

Lorenzo Jooris, CEO of Creative Zone, said: “We are pleased to contribute to the NextGenFDI initiative, which aims to strengthen the UAE's position as a global hub for best emerging digital businesses and leading unicorn companies”.“Digital technologies are rapidly changing how companies interact with their customers. At Creative Zone, we are committed to providing innovative, agile, and flexible business establishment solutions that will help companies maximise their potential and propel them to success in the UAE.” He added

Creative Zone is among the country’s trusted startup advisory firms, having assisted over 45,000 growing entrepreneurs and businesses in expanding their presence over the past decade, and will now support the objectives of the NextGenFDI initiative to promote the development of businesses in the UAE.

Creative Zone will advance the objectives of the NextGenFDI initiative by providing potential investors and high potential entrepreneurs with a range of market-leading business launch solutions to ensure their flexible relocation to the UAE.

The MoU will help broaden the scope of the initiative, which strengthens and accelerates the UAE's efforts to create an advanced global business environment for the technology sector. Furthermore, it underscores the program’s capability of supporting innovative and startups in priority industries.

The Ministry of Economy launched the NextGenFDI initiative in July 2022, to attract the world’s top digital companies to the UAE, by providing market access incentives and benefiting from the wide efforts of stakeholders in the public and private sectors.

NextGenFDI includes fast business licensing, group visa issuance, fast access to banking facilities, as well as access to educational and cloud services, and commercial real estate.