Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy has supported 215 digital startups in the first half of 2024, a 212% year-over-year increase from the 69 companies supported in the same period last year. The combined market value of these companies is approximately $7 billion.
During the same period, the chamber trained 243 Emiratis under the ‘Create Apps in Dubai’ initiative, which aims to train 1,000 Emiratis by 2025. This initiative, led by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy and launched by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, seeks to triple the number of app developers in Dubai and support 100 new national mobile application projects.
The chamber organised 12 international roadshows to promote Expand North Star, the world’s largest gathering of startups and investors, which will take place in October. Additionally, the chamber participated in 15 local and international events as an organiser, strategic partner, or active participant.
The chamber signed four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with partners during H1 2024 to enhance Dubai’s digital business ecosystem and nurture the growth of digital enterprises and technology companies. These included an MoU with Enterprise Ireland, an Irish government agency dedicated to trade and innovation, the largest venture capital institution in Europe by number of deals. The agreement seeks to create a strategic partnership that promotes business opportunities, expansion, and mutual cooperation between companies within the digital sector from Dubai and Ireland.
The chamber published two reports on the success rate of scaleups in Dubai and the FDI landscape in MENA during the first half of the year.
