Chamber’s initiatives empower digital companies with robust infrastructure and market access for scale.
Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, part of the trio of chambers operating within Dubai Chambers, has announced its achievement in fostering the establishment and growth of 1,690 digital startups in Dubai during 2025. This is a 39.7 percent rise from 2024, reflecting the chamber’s essential role in solidifying Dubai’s status as a preferred global hub for digital companies and entrepreneurial initiatives.
Businesses specializing in artificial intelligence represented around 15 percent of the companies backed by the chamber, and fintech companies accounted for 12 percent. The combined share of businesses engaged in mobility tech, software-as-a-service (SaaS), and e-commerce was 20 percent of the overall total. Additionally, global firms comprised 75 percent of all companies supported by the chamber during 2025.
Last October, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, launched Dubai Founders HQ. This flagship initiative is intended to strengthen and consolidate Dubai’s ecosystem for startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Developed as a joint project between the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, Dubai Founders HQ features a unique ‘phygital’ platform that integrates a vibrant physical campus with a robust digital ecosystem. The initiative aims to bring together founders, investors, corporates, and enablers to foster innovation, collaboration, and business development.
Advancing infrastructure and legislation
His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications and Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, stated: “Guided by the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to cement Dubai’s status as a global hub for the digital economy, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy remains committed to accelerating the shift towards a fully integrated digital economy built on advanced infrastructure, agile legislation, and a pro-innovation business environment. At the same time, we are empowering digital companies to scale from Dubai by building an ecosystem designed for rapid growth that offers the infrastructure, regulation, and market access innovators need, enhancing the emirate’s competitiveness while attracting investment and talent across the industries of the future.”
Comprehensive corporate services
The ‘Business in Dubai’ platform of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy provides an array of corporate services in collaboration with trusted partners, along with business matchmaking services. This platform supports companies looking to launch or expand their operations in the emirate, facilitating connections with the right partners, investors, and customers for rapid and efficient scaling. In 2025, 48 percent of companies supported by the chamber received assistance with business setup services and opportunities to join accelerators and incubators in Dubai. Furthermore, 31 percent of companies utilized the diverse range of business support services offered through the platform.
Create Apps Championship
In April 2025, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council, celebrated the winners of the ‘Create Apps Championship’ organized by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. This championship is a component of the ‘Create Apps in Dubai’ initiative, launched by His Highness in March 2023 to accelerate smart application development and enhance Dubai’s role as a global center for the digital economy.
Since its launch, the championship has attracted considerable interest from global innovators and digital entrepreneurs, with more than 5,800 registrations received for its first and second editions. The initiative has effectively supported the creation and launch of over 55 smart applications, highlighting the chamber’s role in empowering tech talent, nurturing creativity, and bolstering Dubai’s digital economy.
In November 2025, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy revealed the third edition of the Create Apps Championship, accompanied by the introduction of a new Participant Support Programme focusing on high-potential teams. This programme aims to help teams finalize their projects by enrolling in a business accelerator, with the objective of launching an additional 50 fully developed applications. The third edition also features a dedicated hub where participants can gain access to training, guidance, and best practices to enhance the growth of their ideas and projects. The championship offers funding packages exceeding AED2.5 million to assist in the development and launch of the winning applications.
Expand North Star 2025
October 2025 marked the 10th edition of Expand North Star 2025, organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre and held at Dubai Harbour by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. The event’s unprecedented success emphasized Dubai’s rising role in shaping the future of digital entrepreneurship, reinforcing the emirate’s status as a global center for advanced technology and a leading venue for high-impact partnerships and investment opportunities in the digital economy.
The landmark edition attracted over 2,000 startups and more than 1,200 investors, collectively managing assets exceeding $ 1.1 trillion. Additionally, the event welcomed the founders of 40 unicorns, which boast a combined valuation of $900 billion.
Read more: Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy empowers 582 startups in Dubai during first nine months of 2025
Enhancing Dubai’s digital ecosystem through events, engagement, and research
Over the course of the year, the chamber organized 36 events to strengthen partnerships and support critical sectors of the digital economy. Additionally, it conducted 17 international roadshows to showcase Dubai’s strengths in the digital economy and explore new collaboration opportunities with stakeholders across various industries. These roadshows also emphasized the scale and potential of Expand North Star, the world’s largest gathering of startups and investors. The programme included visits to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Portugal, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vietnam, and South Korea.
Throughout these roadshows, the chamber connected with representatives from more than 2,500 digital startups, as well as partners from the ecosystem, incubators, and stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.
Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy released eight reports in 2025, including The Entrepreneur’s AI Playbook, which aims to increase awareness of AI tools that assist in the efficient and effective launch and scaling of projects, as well as a report detailing foreign direct investment destinations within the technology sector.
