Dubai opens technology incubator for 20 Emirati founders

Dubai: Dubai has opened applications for a new technology incubator that will help 20 Emirati entrepreneurs turn early-stage ideas into commercially viable businesses.

The 16-week programme will begin in October 2026 and is open to UAE nationals with promising technology ideas or minimum viable product concepts. Applications will close in August.

Participants will receive support with market validation, product strategy, commercial readiness and business growth, while gaining access to mentors, investors, corporate partners and startup services through Dubai Founders HQ.

Support begins at the idea stage

The programme is designed for Emiratis at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey, including applicants who have not previously secured funding or established a company.

Founders will be guided from the development of an initial idea through to market validation and product readiness, with the aim of helping them build scalable technology ventures.

Support will continue after the programme ends through Dubai Founders HQ, giving participants access to further programmes, events, investors, corporate partners and the wider founder community.

“Embedding Hi2 within Dubai Founders HQ is about creating a structured, end-to-end pathway for Emirati talent to move from first idea to investable business," said Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, CEO of Dubai SME. "In a global environment of rapid economic transformation, Dubai’s response has been to invest strategically in its founders, building the infrastructure and programmes that ensure our Emirati entrepreneurs are not only equipped to compete globally, but positioned to lead.”

He added, “Through the new incubator programme, we are opening that doorway to founders at the very earliest stage of their journey, welcoming all regardless of prior funding or company formation. This is how we build a stronger, more diverse pipeline of national startups, advancing the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.”

Hi2 joins Dubai Founders HQ

The programme follows the integration of Hamdan Innovation Incubator, known as Hi2, into Dubai Founders HQ.

Hi2 was established in 2014 under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.

The incubator has supported Emirati entrepreneurs for more than a decade and will now operate as a dedicated platform for national founders within the wider Dubai Founders HQ ecosystem.

The move gives Hi2 participants direct access to startup programmes, mentors, investors, corporates and services through a single platform.

Dubai Founders HQ was established in 2025 as a joint initiative between the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.

The platform connects founders with investors, companies and startup ecosystem partners and forms part of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, which aims to double the size of Dubai’s economy by 2033.