AI startups from across the globe are increasingly choosing the UAE as their base due to the country’s accelerating pace of innovation and growing reputation as a research and talent hub, speakers revealed at the Dubai Assembly for AI, part of Dubai AI Week 2025.
In a session titled ‘Dubai as a Launchpad: Competing on the Global Stage’, Sachin Dev Duggal, founder and chief wizard of Builder.ai, shared why the startup moved its headquarters to Dubai: “There’s massive demand across the GCC, and the market’s inherent stability makes it the perfect base. The leadership here is incredibly open to building AI-powered platforms and the legislation reflects that.”
Duggal added: “I have a strong sense that the pace of innovation in Dubai is accelerating rapidly. When capital, talent and R&D support are aligned, the UAE has all the ingredients to become a true global hub for advanced research and breakthrough technologies.”
How AI is transforming Dubai’s government entities
Commenting on the country’s Golden Visa program, Jad Antoun, CEO of Huspy, said it was a “gamechanger,” adding that the UAE “provides the stability to build a global company—and attract great talent.” Meanwhile, Lin Kayser, CEO of Leap71, reflected on his move to Dubai, describing it as a “breath of fresh air.”
In a session titled ‘Global CAIOs: Early Study Findings by Dubai Future Foundation & IBM’, Dubai AI Week 2025 attendees heard how AI is transforming Dubai’s government entities. Mohammed AlMudharreb, executive director of the corporate technical support services sector and CAIO at RTA, said that the chatbot has already handled over 23 million conversations. “These are the results you get when data, alignment, and execution come together—but we’re still just scratching the surface,” he added.
Presenting findings from a new global survey of 624 Chief AI Officers across 22 countries, Anthony Marshall, senior research director at the IBM Institute for Business Value, said: “Only 25 percent of executives believe their infrastructure is ready for AI at scale. While the average CAIO leads a team of just five people, the expectations placed on them are enormous.”
Cultivating a thriving AI startup landscape
In a panel titled ‘Fuelling the Future: Investing in AI Startups within Dubai’s Ecosystem,’ Dubai AI Week 2025 showcased how Dubai is cultivating a thriving AI startup landscape. Akshat Prakash, CTO and co-founder of CAMB.AI, said that Dubai offers a rare combination of cultural diversity, strategic location and a supportive innovation ecosystem, making it an ideal environment to build a truly global company.
Meanwhile, Nuha Hashem, co-founder of CozmoX AI, highlighted the region’s proactive role in the AI age: “During the dotcom boom, this region lagged in adoption. But with AI, we’re building in real time. Companies here aren’t just catching up—they’re creating world-first solutions, sometimes before the trend even goes global.”
She added that as a female founder in the UAE, she feels empowered. “Your vision and your work matter more than your gender—and that’s powerful.”
A recent report by Wamda revealed that in March 2025, the startup ecosystem in the UAE secured a total of $104.4 million across 14 transactions, claiming the position of the most funded ecosystem in the region.
In the MENA region, fintech led the funding landscape as usual, securing $82.5 million across 10 deals. Healthtech followed in a distant second with $16 million invested in two deals, while AI attracted $14 million through four startups.
Read| Dubai AI Week 2025: UAE ranks among top emerging economies in AI readiness, says BCG
Government support essential in equitable AI adoption
Dubai AI Week 2025 also held a fireside chat titled ‘Revolutionizing Education Through Metaverse and AI’, where Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, compared today’s AI revolution to the early resistance against calculators in schools. “Back then, people weren’t allowed to use calculators in math. Today, the same accusations are being thrown at AI. But just like calculators deepened our understanding, AI will do the same across subjects,” he said.
He warned that without accessible infrastructure, AI could widen global inequalities: “Governments once subsidised calculators until solar versions solved the energy issue. But AI requires compute and training data. Without grants and licenses, it won’t be equally accessible—and we risk creating a digital divide.”
