Ahmed bin Saeed witnesses the launch of the Dowers 2025 Forum in Dubai Silicon Oasis

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIZ), today witnessed the launch of the “Dwyers” Forum, one of the largest platforms that brings together innovative startups, venture capital funds, investors and institutions from Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, which is being held in its Middle Eastern version for the first time over two days..

The forum, which is being organized in Dubai Silicon Oasis, the economic zone specializing in knowledge and innovation affiliated with the Dies Authority, brought together in cooperation with the company “The Dowers”. “The Doors Company” More than 2,500 participants on its first day, and more than 150 speakers from around the world, to exchange visions about the future of artificial intelligence, the digital economy, financial technology, mobility, sustainability, and other sectors and issues that contribute to building a more advanced and innovative global economy..

The opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Economy and Tourism, Chairman of the Emirates Entrepreneurship Council, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Secretary General of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, Abdullah Al Basti, Minister of Energy, Trade and Industry of Cyprus, George Papanastasiou, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy of Cyprus, Dr. Nicodemus Damiano, Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the UAE, Merope Christofi, CEO of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority, Dr. Mohammed Al Zarouni, and Director General of Dubai Silicon Oasis. Badr Buhanad, along with a number of dignitaries and officials.

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri stressed in his opening speech that the UAE, thanks to the directives of its wise leadership, was keen to develop a competitive, world-class entrepreneurship system, which contributed to providing real opportunities for the growth of entrepreneurs and innovative projects, as the country worked to launch a group of pioneering initiatives and programmes, most notably the national campaign “The UAE is the Entrepreneurial Capital of the World”, which aims to consolidate the country’s position as a global destination for entrepreneurship and startup companies, as well as the 100 Companies of the Future initiative, and the program “Thabat” to enable family businesses to establish projects in advanced technology, digital services and the circular economy.

In this context, he pointed out that the Ministry’s efforts continue to enhance the competitiveness of the economic legislative system in the country, modernize legislation, and protect intellectual property rights, which contributes to the development of an advanced business environment that supports entrepreneurs and emerging project owners’ access to financing to start their projects and businesses and expand them to foreign markets, starting from the UAE..

He noted that small and medium-sized companies account for 95% of the total companies operating in the country, and the UAE markets today host more than 1,500 startup companies supported by investment capital, and the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai lead the region in the volume of venture investments, adding that the competitive business and investment climate in the country plays an important role in attracting innovators from all over the world, especially since the UAE ranked first in the world for the fourth year in a row in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report for the year 2024/2025.

He pointed out that the UAE seeks to become the global center for the new economy by the next decade, by adopting national strategies and initiatives that support the expansion of the new economy sectors, most notably artificial intelligence, digital trade, science, financial technology, space, smart transportation, and sustainable manufacturing, in line with the goals of the “We Are the Emirates 2031” vision.“.

For his part, Dr. Nicodemus Damiano said: Today, Dubai is considered a global center for innovation and technology and a vibrant environment that includes various types of emerging and large technology companies, supported by advanced policies, world-class infrastructure, and a strong focus on artificial intelligence, financial technology, and smart city solutions. Dubai’s focus on digital transformation, attracting talent, and investing has contributed to achieving remarkable levels of growth, and providing a vibrant environment in which ideas expand rapidly, innovations flourish, and global partnerships are strengthened..

Dr. Mohammed Al Zarouni said: The first Middle Eastern edition of the “Dowers Forum” is a global platform that contributes to shaping the future of entrepreneurship, innovation and the digital economy. The partnership in organizing the forum with “The Dowers Company” represents a qualitative step to link innovation systems between Europe, the Middle East and Asia regions, which is in line with the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda. D33which charts an ambitious path to double the size of Dubai’s economy and strengthen its position among the top three economic cities in the world by 2033..

He added: We recall the support and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him,” who established a clear approach in building an economy based on knowledge and technology and attracting talent in our country, while His Highness today leads the process of digital transformation and entrepreneurship..

He said that this approach places Dubai today at the forefront of the most advanced and future-proof cities, and thanks to it we are witnessing specific initiatives to consolidate the UAE’s position as a global destination for entrepreneurship, the most prominent of which is the national campaign “The UAE is the Entrepreneurial Capital of the World,” which aims to empower emerging companies, enhance the business environment, and support talent and innovation through an integrated system of incubators and accelerators..

The forum includes a comprehensive program that includes panel discussions, dialogue sessions, workshops, and dedicated networking opportunities to discuss the most prominent concepts and issues that play a pivotal role in shaping the features of the global innovation system. It also highlights the sectors influencing the direction of economic transformation, including artificial intelligence, financial technology, digital infrastructure, sustainability, and mobility, while displaying successful practical models from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East..

In a key session within the events, Yuri Levin, co-founder of Waze, the largest community traffic and navigation application in the world, shared his vision on the entrepreneurship journey, in which he emphasized that entrepreneurship is not just a process of developing a product, but rather a passion, commitment and drive to achieve real impact. Levin considered that the essence of the process lies in creating value by solving real problems, starting from monitoring and verifying the challenge among the target audience, all the way to developing an effective solution to address it. Levin also pointed to the reality of entrepreneurship, describing it as a journey full of experiments, repeated failures, and long periods of absence of interaction or progress, which many startups go through before reaching product-market compatibility..

A specialized dialogue session reviewed the transformation process led by modern technologies and the new qualitative opportunities they bring, from traditional models to impact-based investment strategies, with priority given to operational cash flows and sustainable profitability. The session addressed the intersection between artificial intelligence and climate technologies, in addition to the rise of deep technology projects, research and development-based initiatives, and cross-border investments. The session also touched on the pivotal role of data infrastructure in light of the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and the expected rise in demand for computing power, as the dialogue highlighted how investment strategies have become increasingly linked to innovation, sustainability, and the pursuit of truly global impact..

Stylianos Lambrou, co-founder of The Dowers, said: We are pleased with the success of the first day of the Dowers Forum in its first session in the region, with the number of attendees significantly exceeding expectations, which confirms the extent of the demand by entrepreneurs and investors with capital to benefit from the great growth opportunities provided by the investment market in Dubai, the UAE and the region in general. In light of the great interaction within the working sessions, we look forward to the outcomes of the event and the added value it provides to the business community.

It is noteworthy that the Dubai version of the global forum, which is held annually in the cities of Limassol in Cyprus and Athens in Greece and attracts a large attendance, provides a strategic platform for global leaders, emerging companies and investors to shape the future features of technology and the digital economy at the region level, and provides the opportunity to explore points of convergence and mutual influence between innovation, technology and sustainable development. More information or the full agenda of the forum can be found by visiting:: www.doerssummit.com/agenda/dubai-agenda.