Entrepreneur Middle East

The official Twitter of Entrepreneur Middle East: inspiring, informing, and celebrating entrepreneurs in the Middle East, and beyond.

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

Our July 2026 issue is headlined by Dr. Essa N. Al Essa (@DrEssaAlessa), co-founder and CEO of Asnan Tower (@AsnanTower), on building the world's largest single-site dental clinic and his journey from dentist to #healthcare entrepreneur.

Also in this issue: @businessfrance CEO @l_margueritte on France-UAE ties; Vision Golfe 2026; our new Building Bridges ambassador series with H.E. Lucie Berger (@BergerLucie) EU Ambassador to the UAE (@euintheuae); @UEB3ventures’ Viktor Uzunov (@viktortrades), Reem Holding’s Dr. Reem Osman, @myrakez, and more.

PLUS: Seven #UAE-based #smallbusiness founders on leading with resilience through regional uncertainty; and Clusterlab is building #voiceAI for the MENA region.

All this and more can be found on @issuu: https://t.co/Pcz2BhTHRK

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

On the occasion of Union Pledge Day, H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism (@Economyae), shared a message highlighting the enduring values of unity and cohesion that have defined the UAE since its founding.

In a statement, Al Marri said: "This cherished national occasion, established by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, serves as a significant milestone to reflect on the foundational values of the UAE’s development and its unique growth journey. At the forefront of these values are loyalty to our wise leadership, dedicated collaborative efforts to advance the nation, and the reinforcement of our national identity. It reflects the remarkable ability of the UAE’s people to transform ambitions into tangible achievements that serve both the individual and society."

"The UAE's journey has proven that the Union's pledge is a sustainable approach that has driven the country to achieve remarkable milestones. Its unwavering values continue to serve as the primary driver for progress and prosperity. Today, amidst rapid global shifts, the UAE is moving confidently toward a thriving future across various sectors, particularly the economy."

"On this occasion, we renew our resolve, drawing inspiration from the journey of the late Founding Father and his brothers, the UAE Rulers, as well as the directives of our wise leadership. We pledge to continue developing pioneering economic initiatives and policies that bolster sustainable growth and foster a more innovative and competitive economy. This aligns with the objectives of the 'We the UAE 2031' vision, which aims to position the UAE among the top nations globally across all fields."

Union Pledge Day is observed annually on July 18 to commemorate the historic signing of the declaration of the Union and the UAE Constitution in 1971 by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the Rulers of the Emirates.

#UAE #UnionPledgeDay

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

#Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) (@diezaofficial) and #Salik Company PJSC (@Salik_ae), Dubai’s exclusive toll gate operator, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop smart mobility solutions across #DIEZ’s free zones.

The partnership will introduce access control systems and parking optimization tools across more than 21,000 parking spaces at Dubai Airport Freezone (@dafz_official), Dubai Silicon Oasis (@DSiliconOasis), and Dubai CommerCity (@DubaiCommercity), with the aim to improve traffic flow.

“Our collaboration with Salik reflects DIEZ’s ongoing commitment to adopting advanced digital solutions and forging strategic partnerships that contribute to delivering more efficient and seamless services for businesses operating within our economic zones,” Eng. Muammar Al Katheeri, Chief Officer of Engineering and Sustainability at DIEZ, said.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/SmJC703zDW

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

Uber Technologies (@Uber) has agreed to acquire #Germany-based food delivery company Delivery Herto (@deliveryherocom) in a transaction valuing the company at approximately US$14.8 billion, offering shareholders cash consideration equivalent to US$47.60 per share: https://t.co/D5RRDhuYc9

The #acquisition would bring Delivery Hero’s #MiddleEast businesses, including #Dubai-headquartered @Talabat, #SaudiArabia-based @HungerStation , and Glovo’s operations in #Morocco and Tunisia, into Uber’s global network.

The acquisition covers the majority of Delivery Hero’s operations across approximately 50 markets spanning Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/D5RRDhuYc9

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

Can AI really tell you what your home is worth?

According to Antonello Supino, Director of Data at @bayut, “The short answer is yes, but only when it's built on the right data.”

In his op-ed, Supino explores how AI-powered valuation models are changing the way #property values are estimated by delivering instant, data-driven insights backed by market intelligence rather than guesswork.

As the #UAE real estate market continues to evolve, he highlights how Bayut’s TruEstimate™ combines advanced #AI models with extensive real estate data, including property listings, market trends, neighborhood insights, and pricing intelligence, to provide homeowners with a clearer understanding of their property’s current market position.

“Having access to timely property intelligence empowers consumers to make smarter financial decisions with greater confidence,” he writes.

However, Supino emphasizes that AI should be viewed as a starting point rather than the final verdict. While TruEstimate™ can provide valuable market insights, combining data-driven analysis with human expertise remains essential to making informed decisions.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/m1rfHRGZdS

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

The term ‘Emiratization’ may have become commonplace in the UAE’s business vernacular over the past half decade—particularly after the national workforce policy was made mandatory in 2022—but not everyone might know that the concept itself was introduced back in the 1990s, when the country saw a rising influx of expatriate workers.

Today, with the non-Emirati population in the #UAE accounting for approximately 88.5% of the nation (as per multiple 2026 studies), the Emiratization movement holds added gravitas.

But for a country that has placed skilled workforces at the heart of its innovation and growth policies, ##Emiratization deserves to be viewed as more than just a regulatory quota to be ticked off on paper.

We asked six UAE-based industry leaders and HR experts to share their insights. Hear from:

-Dalal Saleh Salem Al Yafei, Vice President – Human Capital, Tabreed (@Tabreed)

-Georgette Yousef, Group Chief HR Officer, Al Ansari Financial Services (@AlAnsariFin)

-Khadija Alhirey, Human Resources Director, Emrill (@EmrillServices)

-Mahesh Shahdadpuri, Group Chairman, TASC Outsourcing

-Tayfun Topkoc, Senior Vice President, International, PeopleStrong (@peoplestrong)

-Zakaria Doleh, co-founder, Dawlati (@DawlatiUAE)

Read the full feature HERE: https://t.co/yTRl2MWmGz

[✍🏼: Aalia Mehreen Ahmed]

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

#Dubai Future Foundation (@DubaiFuture) has released the fifth edition of its annual “Future Opportunities: The Global 50” report, highlighting 50 emerging opportunities that could shape the future of economies and industries.

The report reviews progress made on #opportunities identified in previous editions and provides governments, organizations, and individuals with a framework to assess potential developments across sectors including artificial intelligence, robotics, healthcare, energy, mobility, space, and edge computing.

Developed through research and roundtable discussions involving more than 180 experts from the #UAE and worldwide, the report is based on five long-term assumptions: climate change will persist, inequalities will continue, lives will be longer and healthier, global interdependencies will remain, and technology will continue to advance.

“The UAE’s experience has shown that transformative change begins with bold decisions; decisions that do not simply respond to the present, but redefine what is possible for the future. This is the mindset our institutions, cities, and societies need today,” said H.E. Mohammad Al Gergawi, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation and Chairman of the Museum of the Future.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/OXNbevJMgQ

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

Think, a #SaudiArabia-based #AI infrastructure company, has raised more than US$8 million in a pre-seed #funding round to support the expansion of its hardware and software platform for AI deployment. The funding round was co-led by RAED Ventures (@RaedVC) and Wa'ed Ventures (@Waed_Ventures), with participation from Dhahran Techno Valley‘s (@dtv_sa) #venturecapital arm and a group of strategic angel investors.

The round is said to be the largest pre-seed investment in AI infrastructure and deep technology in the #MENA region to date.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/dNdEMcYExc

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (@PIF_en) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with I Squared Capital, a global infrastructure investment manager, to explore investments of up to US$2 billion in #realestate and infrastructure assets owned by PIF and its portfolio companies.

Under the agreement, I Squared Capital will work with PIF portfolio companies to identify #investment opportunities in digital infrastructure and district cooling, with the firm aiming to allocate up to US$1 billion to each sector.

The companies said the investment scope could expand to include additional related sectors.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/w0OFo2ceR1

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

#Ajman recorded 6,815 real estate transactions worth more than AED10.8 billion during the first half of 2026, according to the Ajman Land and Real Estate Regulation Department (@_ajmanre ).

Statistics published in the Ajman #RealEstate Index showed that the emirate registered 5,435 property trading transactions during the six-month period, with a total value of AED7.64 billion.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/mBpMl9tHaD

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute (@FII_Institute1), a global nonprofit foundation, will mark its 10th anniversary with FII10, a four-day conference in #Riyadh scheduled for October 26-29.

Under the theme “The Power of Legacy,” the 10th edition will address pressing issues influencing the future of investment and humanity, while providing a platform for global dialogue and partnerships.

“The Power of Legacy is not simply about celebrating the past decade,” Princess Dr. Maha Bint Mishari Bin Abdulaziz, CEO of FII Institute, said. “It is about understanding how the decisions, investments, and partnerships we make today will shape generations to come. FII10 represents both a reflection on what has been achieved and a commitment to what comes next.”

Read more HERE: https://t.co/fp3DWegWZP

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

King Saud University (@_KSU) in Riyadh has ranked 11th globally in the 2026-2027 Global University Visibility (GUV) Rankings, becoming the only university in the Middle East to place among the top 100 institutions worldwide.

The #university recorded a visibility score of 20,491,675, according to the rankings by American Caldwell (@americancaldwel), a higher education market research firm based in Washington, DC.

The rankings assessed more than 1,200 universities across all 193 UN-recognized countries based on public visibility across news media, websites, social platforms, and search behavior, rather than academic reputation.

Globally, @Harvard University retained the top position for the fourth consecutive year with a visibility score of 65,404,595, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (@MIT) with 60,656,253, and @Stanford University with 45,052,212.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/ih49e8k0J9

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

The Middle East's #startup ecosystem continues to expand, with several Gulf countries strengthening their positions as innovation hubs. According to the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026, the Middle East and Africa recorded the strongest regional growth worldwide, posting a 20.2% increase in total ecosystem score, nearly double the global average of 10.3%.

Among the countries making progress is #Qatar, climbing three places to 73rd globally after recording annual ecosystem growth of 43.5%, with an ecosystem value of US$625 million. As the country continues to invest in technology and innovation, Qatar Science & Technology Park (@QSTP), a member of Qatar Foundation (@QF), has launched a US$30 million Tech Venture Fund aimed at accelerating the growth of homegrown #deeptech startups.

“The QSTP Tech Venture Fund has activated a pipeline of more than 200 startup prospects across 14+ sectors,” says Ahmed Al-Enazi, Operations Director at QSTP and Director of the Tech Venture Fund. “Eight world-class local, regional, and global VC funds are among our first set of co-investment partners, making hundreds of millions of dollars in dry powder available to our ecosystem.”

Sitting at the intersection of deep tech and impact, QSTP views technology as a catalyst for meaningful change, backing innovations designed to improve quality of life, strengthen communities, and address pressing social and environmental challenges.

Through #investments in areas including AI, robotics, biotechnology, and advanced materials, the fund aims to bridge the gap between research and commercialization while connecting founders with capital, global investors, and opportunities for regional and global expansion.

“It signals that Qatar is not just participating in this shift, it is building the infrastructure to lead parts of it," Al-Enazi states. "The fund is patient, mission-aligned with Qatar Foundation, co-investing alongside leading VCs, which unlocks hundreds of millions of dollars and the combined networks and reach of some of the region’s best funds for our ecosystem."

Read more HERE: https://t.co/9PjOdlNjli

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (@ADIBTweets) and Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (@DubaiDET) have launched the DET Connect Account through DET’s SME in a Box platform to provide banking services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): https://t.co/KUZiprBgsA

The initiative combines ADIB’s banking services with DET’s SME in a Box platform, which is designed to provide entrepreneurs with access to business services through a single digital platform.

According to DET, the SME in a Box platform enables businesses to access services including business licensing, banking, digital payments, logistics, telecommunications, and operational support through participating service providers.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/KUZiprBgsA

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

As AI systems get better and smarter, AlDhabi AlMheiri, the young entrepreneur behind @RainbowChimney and AI Learning Academy, says there is an important question that deserves attention: “Are we teaching AI to make good choices, not just fast ones?”: https://t.co/Ej5uwFJh1R

“Every decision made by an AI system can affect people,” AlMheiri writes. “Imagine applying for your dream school, job or bank loan, only to have a computer program make the final decision. If that system has been trained on incomplete information, it could unintentionally make unfair choices.”

AlMheiri emphasizes that the technology itself does not try to be unfair; it just learns from the information it is given or trained on.

When it comes to education in particular, AlMheiri argues that the successful AI systems of the future “will not just be the smartest; they will also be the most trustworthy.”

Read the full op-ed HERE: https://t.co/Ej5uwFJh1R

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

Dubai-based activewear brand #SQUATWOLF (@squatwolf) has unveiled its SS27 collection, The Duning Land, during a sell-in event attended by regional and international buyers, franchise partners, and wholesale accounts.

The event, which featured a catwalk presentation, product showcases, and sessions with retail partners ahead of the collection’s market rollout, was described by the company as the region’s first full-scale sell-in event hosted by a homegrown brand.

“This time, partners didn’t just see the products. They experienced the entire world of SS27,” Wajdan Gul (@wajdangul), co-founder of SQAUTWOLF, explained. “Desert sand installations, a catwalk reveal, the full collection styled and staged, brand and go-to-market sessions that showed exactly where we’re headed and how we win together.”

Reflecting on the scale of the event, co-founder Anam Khalid said: “The team poured everything into this. The branding on every wall, the styling on every mannequin, lookbooks displayed across massive walls. Every detail was mindblowing.”

Read more HERE: https://t.co/h2kVl88urs

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

The #UAE ranked first among Arab countries in the 2026 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), according to the latest report, which evaluates countries across #environmentalhealth, ecosystem vitality, and climate change.

The 2026 index assesses countries using 47 performance indicators across 12 issue categories and three policy objectives: Environmental Health, Ecosystem Vitality, and #ClimateChange.

According to the report, the UAE’s performance reflects progress across several environmental indicators, supported by investments in environmental infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and the use of #technology to improve environmental data and monitoring.

The UAE recorded a score of 100 for waste management, ranking first globally in that category. It also received a score of 100 for bottom trawling fisheries, indicating that bottom trawling does not occur within the country’s maritime zones.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/3Q0W2MeLN6

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

The total number of #business licenses issued and renewed in #Sharjah reached 38,169 during the first half of 2026, representing a 2% increase compared to the same period last year, according to the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) (@sharjaheconomic).

The department issued 4,597 new #licenses during the six-month period, up 5% year-on-year, while 33,572 licenses were renewed, reflecting 2% growth compared to the first half of 2025.

According to SEDD, commercial licenses accounted for the largest share of newly issued licenses at 2,514, followed by 1,407 professional licenses, 276 industrial licenses, 233 Eitimad licenses, and 167 e-commerce licenses.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/XJ1J9xozWP

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

@DubaiChambers has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with @WioBank, the #UAE-based digital banking platform, to provide banking and financing services for members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.

Under the agreement, small and medium-sized enterprises (#SMEs) will have access to digital #business account opening and financing solutions designed to support business operations and growth.

The partnership will enable Dubai Chamber of Commerce (@DxbChamberComm) members to open business accounts through a digital process and access credit solutions intended to help businesses manage cash flow, invest in expansion, and scale their operations.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/O8V5rA1Au3

[Entrepreneur Middle East @EntMagazineME]

@DigitalDubai, a government entity which leads the emirate’s digital transformation initiatives, and @emirates Group, the #UAE-based global aviation and travel company, have signed a collaboration agreement that will enable the Group to benefit from Digital #Dubai’s digital ecosystem.

The partnership is intended to enhance employee experience, improve operational efficiency, strengthen digital readiness, and support the exchange of expertise and best practices between the two organizations.

The agreement covers access to digital services, digital enablement platforms, and data and statistics services. It also includes provisions related to systems integration, data exchange, and the broader adoption of shared digital platforms.

Read more HERE: https://t.co/5JSDt0j92z