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9/23/25, 5:06 PM UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism announces details of ‘The UAE: The Startup Capital of the World’ national campaign | MEO
As part of the ‘Projects of the 50’ initiative, the UAE announced investments worth AED

8.7 billion aimed at promoting innovation and supporting SMEs. The UAE is home to

over 50 government and private business incubators and accelerators, Al Marri noted.

He also pointed out that SMEs, which make up around 95% of the UAE’s active

businesses, have contributed 63.5% of its non-oil GDP as of mid-2022, and that out of the
7 Arab companies recently gaining ‘Unicorn’ status, 5 have launched in the UAE.

The UAE’s entrepreneurial ecosystem blends innovation, modern technology and

sustainability, making it an ideal launchpad for global entrepreneurs. The UAE offers a

comprehensive legislative and regulatory framework that helps fast-track business setup

within days, thanks to smart digital services.

The 100% foreign ownership of companies across most sectors, as well as the nation’s

world-class infrastructure, including ports, international airports and an advanced roads
network, further enhance the UAE market’s attractiveness.

At the press conference, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism outlined key initiatives

under the ‘UAE: The Startup Capital of the World’ campaign, which include the launch of

the StartupEmirates.ae platform, which aims to attract 10,000 entrepreneurs and create

30,000 jobs within five years. The campaign will also train 10,000 Emiratis through the

Entrepreneurship Programme, and license 500 Emiratis to manage residential construction

projects under the Project Management Experts Programme.

Other initiatives include supporting 250 Emiratis in establishing national real estate
companies, licensing 500 Emirati tax agents through a three-year training programme, and

launching a national exhibition to raise early-stage entrepreneurship awareness across
educational institutions. Additionally, the campaign will see the launch of a Graduate

Business Projects Exhibition, and improve national startups involvement in and access to
federal procurement systems under the umbrella of the Ministry of Finance.

Strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem

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