The Final Pitch: Dubai unites innovation and investment in Middle Eastern debut

The red carpet rolled out as The Final Pitch: Dubai made its Middle Eastern debut, uniting the worlds of entertainment and entrepreneurial ambition in one glittering moment. After months of mounting anticipation across the region’s start-up circles, the show finally took flight with its November 17 debut, now airing on OSNtv and streaming on OSN+, ushering in a 10-episode journey that will unfold until December 15, with two new episodes dropping each week.

At a star-studded launch party on November 14, investor judges, participants, top officials from Meydan Free Zone, and some of the region’s most influential A-listers came together to celebrate ambition, innovation and entrepreneurial brilliance.

Presented by Meydan Free Zone, the red-carpet event featured fireside chats with creator and host John Aguilar and judges Jigar Sagar and Sami Khoreibi, followed by a premiere screening and a night of entertainment against the vibrant Dubai skyline.

“When we started revamping the Meydan Free Zone in 2021, we thought about the success of entrepreneurs, so we helped them set up and build their businesses as easily as possible,” said Hamed Ahli, Head of Meydan Free Zone. “We now want to reflect this success through The Final Pitch: Dubai.”

As presenting partner, Meydan Free Zone anchors the regional edition. The collaboration bridges television and the real-world ecosystem that supports entrepreneurs, from streamlined business set-up to access to global markets.

As Asia’s longest-running business reality television series, The Final Pitch has over 11 seasons on CNN Philippines, and has consistently connected budding entrepreneurs with seasoned investors, mentors and angel backers.

The Dubai edition marks the franchise’s first offshoot. “The UAE is the perfect launch pad for start-ups because they get access to amazing funding, which you would not have in most parts of the world,” said Aguilar. “Plus, the richness of cultures, points of view and the strong interest in business make for the perfect ingredients for scaling, securing funding and ultimately building a global company from the UAE.”

The Final Pitch: Dubai is led by an impressive lineup of regional investors and entrepreneurs, including Jigar Sagar and Sami Khoreibi. From the first pitch to the top 16, each participant benefited from seasoned guidance across multiple industries during the filtration process. As the season unfolds, viewers will watch finalists present ideas across wellness, healthcare, retail, sustainability and food.

A trailblazing entrepreneur who has significantly shaped the UAE’s business landscape, Sagar has built an ecosystem of 15 plus ventures valued at more than $350 million (Dh 1.2 billion). He has mentored many aspiring founders, achieved multimillion-dollar exits and regularly consults for the UAE government. Unsurprisingly, he brought his strategic vision to The Final Pitch, helping shape the show’s direction.

“What I focused on is not just investing in or supporting a unique idea,” said Sagar. “I focused on supporting multiple layers: is the business scalable? Is it solving a real problem, and what’s the story behind the founder?”

Belief in the founders was equally important for Khoreibi. “What I really enjoyed was the dedication of the founders and their ability to work towards a much bigger goal,” he said. As a sustainability leader, Khoreibi was drawn to ideas involving water, electric vehicles and waste management, but what impressed him most was the cost-effectiveness of the concepts and how they leveraged this to help save the planet. With two decades of driving innovation in climate technology and future-focused ventures, Khoreibi’s Incubayt Investments supports start-ups at the intersection of sustainability and technology and has made more than 25 investments.

What truly sets The Final Pitch: Dubai apart is its commitment to mentorship and scalability. “Unlike many other reality shows that have a cash-investment-and-see-you-never-again mindset, The Final Pitch has a unique concept of mentoring businesses,” said Sagar. “Financial investment was not even mandatory. I continue to mentor participants on an ongoing basis, connecting regularly, tracking progress and being a sounding board to them.” This aligns with his broader mission of building scale and creating interconnected business ecosystems where ventures grow together.

For Jay Shaholia, COO of Meydan Free Zone, bringing The Final Pitch to Dubai aligns perfectly with the organisation’s vision of making entrepreneurship accessible in the UAE. “This was an ideal matchmaking solution for us, both in terms of product and service,” he said. “Where else would we see so many budding entrepreneurs seeking investment and fresh ideas solving real-world problems?” More importantly, Shaholia hopes the show inspires more people to create unique businesses.

“Whenever you see a success story, whenever you see a pitch, it moves you,” he said. “I truly believe there is an entrepreneur in all of us. And we want to be part of the bigger vision of entrepreneurs, supporting them however we can and beyond just the beginning.”

Another defining aspect of the show is the judges’ embrace of failure as a catalyst for success. “One thing we do very well in the UAE and the region is celebrate success,” said Khoreibi. “But in watching the trials and tribulations of founders as they face the judges and learn from experts, we also need to recognise that celebrating failure is equally important.”

Sagar agreed. “I choose ventures that have scope for accelerated progress — that might mean embracing failure, which comes with a lot of lessons. Are those founders willing to rise from the ashes again?”

That remains to be seen. In the coming weeks, The Final Pitch: Dubai will spotlight a spectrum of ideas — from art therapy for emotional health and digital care for cancer patients, to simplified financial compliance, solutions for food and beauty overstock waste, on-demand EV charging, second-hand marketplaces, parent-focused networking, and AI-powered reinventions of the speaker industry.

Featuring participants from around the globe, the show is packed not only with innovative ideas and business insights, but also with emotion and stories of formidable human endeavour.