DCDE to showcase opportunities of Dubai’s digital business ecosystem

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy (DCDE), one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, is showcasing the exciting opportunities and competitiveness of Dubai’s digital business ecosystem at Expand North Star 2024, the world’s largest gathering for startups and investors.

The event, which is organised by Dubai World Trade Centre and hosted by the chamber, will take place at Dubai Harbour from October13-16.

As part of its participation in the four-day event, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy will highlight the competitive advantages of Dubai’s digital ecosystem and its role in stimulating business growth. The chamber will also showcase the facilities and infrastructure available in the emirate to support digital startups, as well as the services it provides to facilitate the expansion of businesses both locally and in global markets.

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy’s pavilion will feature a dedicated space for ‘Launchpad Dubai,’ an integrated platform for business services delivered in cooperation with five partners. The platform provides opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs to connect directly with service providers that can support them in establishing and expanding their businesses in Dubai.

The partners providing services through the platform include the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), Emirates NBD, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, Antler, and Silkhaus.

Through its pavilion at the event, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy will showcase several of its pioneering initiatives aimed at increasing the contribution of the digital economy to the emirate’s economy and enhancing Dubai’s favourable business environment. These include the ‘Create Apps in Dubai’ initiative led by the chamber, which seeks to train over 1,000 Emiratis on the fundamentals of coding, building mobile applications, and business creation models, as well as triple the number of app developers in Dubai by 2025 and support 100 new national projects for the development of cutting-edge mobile applications.

During the event, the chamber will also promote the ‘Business in Dubai’ platform, which provides practical support to businesses looking to launch or expand in the emirate. Companies can benefit from convenient access to essential services delivered by leading providers, together with business matchmaking services to connect them with the right partners, investors, and customers.

As part of its pivotal role in strengthening Dubai’s position as the global capital of the digital economy, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy actively contributes to unlocking the full potential of the digital industries. This comes as part of its drive commitment to transforming Dubai into a leading global hub for technology and innovation, in line with the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33).

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, one of three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, aims to strengthen Dubai’s position as a global leader in the digital economy; attract specialised talent, leading companies, and new investments; and create a stimulating environment that supports the growth of digital companies.

Meanwhile preparations are in full swing for an action-packed Expand North Star, the world’s largest event for global startups and investors, which will take place at Dubai Harbour from 13-16 October.

Organised by Dubai World Trade Centre and hosted by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, the highly anticipated event will bring together the world’s most sought-after founders, investors, entrepreneurs, and corporate innovators to explore exciting growth opportunities emerging in Dubai and catalyse the future of the digital economy.

The number of vetted invite-only investors expected to participate in this year’s edition is set to grow to around 1,200. Senior partners from these funds will connect with an anticipated 1,800 showcasing startups hailing from over 100 countries worldwide, which represents the highest number of late-stage startups at any event globally. This, record number reflects the event’s significant growth and importance on the global digital economy landscape.

This year’s edition will welcome new investors from the biggest funds globally, as well as from several new countries including Azerbaijan, Mauritius, Denmark, Peru, Malta, and Cyprus. This international diversity is matched by the expanding showcase of startups, welcoming to the event for the first time leading startup delegations from Austria, Australia, Canada, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Malaysia, and Singapore and more.

Last year, Expand North Star welcomed 33,060 attendees and 855 investors managing assets worth over US$ 1 trillion. The event attracted the participation of 1,604 startups from 91 countries, together with 52 unicorn companies with a combined market value of US$ 663 billion.