What start-ups need to know about coming to the UAE

What start-ups need to know about coming to the UAE

Author: The National News June 21, 2023 Duration: 17:42
In 2019, Hub71 invited start-ups to move to Abu Dhabi, promising founders free housing, office space and health insurance for the first year, access to investors and one of the most dynamic and connected regions in the world. Four years later, Abu Dhabi’s start-up ecosystem is among the fastest-growing in the world, according to a new ranking from Startup Genome. Amer Aidi, head of marketing and operations at Hub71, joins host Kelsey Warner this week to talk about what founders can expect if they move to the UAE and how the community – and the start-up scene in general – has changed in just four years. In this episode: Hosting Sam Altman and creating a community (0m 33s)Putting Abu Dhabi on the startup map (4m 26s)Measuring success at Hub71 and the fight for talent (9m 03s)Navigating the current marketplace and being sector agnostic (13m 56s)   Read more on our website: Silicon Valley remains top place for start-ups but Mena cities on the rise Funding for start-ups at Abu Dhabi's Hub71 hit $1.22bn at the end of 2022 Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 unveils new ecosystem to support Web3 start-ups Subscribe to Business Extra for free to receive new episodes every weekApple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean

Tune into Business Extra for a clear-eyed look at the forces shaping commerce in the Middle East and beyond. Produced by The National News, this podcast moves past the headlines to deliver substantive conversations with the analysts, executives, and innovators driving change. Each episode leans on the deep regional expertise of our editors and reporters, who translate complex developments in markets, energy, and technology into accessible insights. You’ll hear grounded discussions that connect local trends to global patterns, offering a necessary perspective on one of the planet's most dynamic economic landscapes. Whether it's a shift in oil policy, a tech startup's rise, or a new trade agreement, this series provides the context often missing from daily news cycles. For anyone with a stake in understanding how business really works in this pivotal region, Business Extra is an essential listen, blending authoritative journalism with genuine curiosity. The result is a consistently informative podcast that feels less like a briefing and more like a series of insightful conversations with people who have their finger on the pulse.
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