Meydan Free Zone helps build the region’s next wave of founders

What inspired Meydan Free Zone to partner with The Final Pitch for its Middle East debut, and how does the show reflect the Free Zone’s mission for the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem?

What inspired us most was the show’s focus on the earliest and often most vulnerable moment of entrepreneurship: the moment a founder decides to step forward and pitch an idea. That requires courage. And that’s the spirit Meydan Free Zone has always believed in and worked to enable. At Meydan Free Zone, we’ve built a system that removes friction from the business journey, with fast setup, full digital access, and clarity at every step. The Final Pitch captures founders exactly at the stage where clarity, support, and momentum matter most. That alignment made the partnership feel natural.

We’re proud to present a platform that not only entertains but also reflects the UAE’s commitment to empowering people with ideas, long before any outcomes are known. For us, it’s never about who wins. It’s about celebrating the decision to start.

From your perspective, what impact do you hope the show will have on audiences and aspiring founders across the UAE and wider Middle East?

I hope the show makes the early stage of entrepreneurship feel relatable. When people watch founders pitch — often with uncertainty, nerves, and excitement — they realise that great businesses frequently begin from simple, honest ideas. I also hope it encourages more people to take the first step. The region is full of potential founders waiting for the “perfect moment.”

Seeing others stand on that stage is a reminder that progress begins with action, not perfection. And for aspiring founders, the show demonstrates that they’re not alone. There is a supportive ecosystem around them, an ecosystem that values initiative and provides pathways to turn an idea into something real.

Meydan Free Zone has positioned itself as a digital-first, scale-ready ecosystem. In what ways are you seeing the needs of entrepreneurs evolve, and how is the Free Zone innovating to stay ahead of those needs?

Entrepreneurs today expect clarity, speed, and systems that work the way they do — digitally, instantly, and without friction. They want to move from idea to execution quickly, and they need an ecosystem that removes obstacles instead of adding them. That’s exactly why we built Meydan Free Zone the way we did. Being recognised as the UAE’s Best Digital Free Zone (2022) and for the Most Innovative Application of Digital Transformation (2022) shows that our approach isn’t just modern, it works. And winning the CX Award for Digital Transformation in 2024 reinforces our focus on making the founder journey simpler, smarter, and more intuitive.

Our goal is straightforward: eliminate friction, provide instant visibility, and make sure the structure founders start with can support the scale they’re aiming for. Innovation for us isn’t about adding more tools, it’s about removing whatever slows entrepreneurs down.

Dubai is becoming a magnet for global founders. What differentiates the UAE’s entrepreneurial landscape today compared to five or ten years ago, and how should new founders take advantage of this moment?

The biggest difference is the level of coordination across the ecosystem. Five or ten years ago, the UAE had ambition and pockets of support. Today, those elements are connected — regulations, infrastructure, talent, capital, and platforms like The Final Pitch Dubai all align toward one goal: enabling entrepreneurship.

Founders should take advantage of this moment by moving with intent. The environment here rewards people who act. Decisions are fast. Support is accessible. Opportunities are visible. When you bring an idea forward, the ecosystem responds in real time. This is a rare environment where speed and stability coexist, and that combination creates momentum for anyone ready to build.

Many of the region’s most promising founders come from nontraditional backgrounds. What qualities or habits do you believe truly set successful entrepreneurs apart in today’s environment?

What I see consistently is that the founders who succeed aren’t defined by their backgrounds, they’re defined by how they approach the journey. The ones who go the furthest usually stay very close to why they started. They understand the problem they’re trying to solve in a genuine way, and that purpose keeps them steady when things inevitably get messy. They also show up consistently. Even on slow days, they take small steps forward, and those small steps add up to real momentum.

And above all, they stay open. They listen, ask questions, and aren’t afraid to adjust their thinking. That humility makes them adaptable, and in a fast-moving place like the UAE, adaptability is everything.

As COO, you’ve had a front-row seat to hundreds of business journeys. What recurring challenges do startups face when scaling in the UAE, and what advice would you offer to overcome them?

A recurring challenge is balancing speed with structure. Founders often move quickly, which is good, but without the operational foundation that supports growth. Compliance, documentation, and governance don’t feel urgent in the early days, but they become essential as the business evolves.

Another common challenge is expanding too broadly, too soon. Focus is one of the most underrated strengths of early-stage companies.

My advice is simple: Build a strong foundation early, stay focused on your core value, and let growth be intentional. The UAE is designed for scale, but the companies that scale best are the ones that prepare well.

With Meydan Free Zone helping build “ecosystems within ecosystems,” how do you see collaboration between government entities, investors, and private accelerators shaping the next chapter of the UAE’s innovation economy?

What makes the UAE special is how naturally everyone works together. As a Dubai Government Free Zone built under the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, we see firsthand how aligned the ecosystem is — policymakers, investors, accelerators, and platforms like The Final Pitch Dubai all pulling in the same direction.

At Meydan Free Zone, our role is to connect these pieces. We provide the structure, digital infrastructure, and clarity founders need. So when they step onto a platform like this, they’re not doing it alone, they’re stepping into an ecosystem already prepared to support them.

The next chapter of innovation in the UAE will be shaped by that level of integration. When every part of the ecosystem amplifies the others, founders move faster and build stronger companies. That’s the momentum we’re committed to nurturing.