When Tala Khlat, Director of Philanthropy at Dubai Holding, joined to build its philanthropy function from the ground up, she set one condition: no short-termism. 

The strategy she designed in 2023 is evidence-based, outcomes-driven and deliberately uncomfortable for organizations accustomed to measuring impact by cheque size. At its center sits the Innovate For Tomorrow Impact Accelerator, a program that gives circular-economy scale-ups something rarer than funding: access to live operational environments within Dubai Holding’s sprawling ecosystem to test, validate, and grow.

More than 1,400 innovators from 93 countries applied this year, drawn by a model she believes corporations have been too slow to adopt and one that positions the UAE to lead what comes next.

PHILANTHROPY WITH A PURPOSE

Dubai Holding’s philanthropy strategy reflects a broader shift from charity to systems change. “In 2023, we designed and implemented Dubai Holding’s first Group-wide philanthropy strategy, anchored in evidence, long-term impact and systems-level change,” marking a deliberate move away from traditional CSR and short-term charitable giving toward a more strategic, outcomes-driven model.

“We follow a stringent vetting process to ensure we support programs that are grounded in real societal needs,” with selected initiatives required to deliver measurable long-term outcomes and align with both the organization’s strategic priorities and national agendas. Impact measurement remains central to this approach, “ensuring that every initiative contributes to tangible and sustainable change, rather than offering one-off support.”

Within this broader framework, supporting entrepreneurship has emerged as a core pillar, reflecting a shift toward enabling scalable innovation rather than conventional charitable models. “Supporting entrepreneurship is a core pillar of our philanthropy strategy. Entrepreneurs are critical drivers of economic growth and innovation. They represent more than two-thirds of our regional GDP and are uniquely positioned to develop scalable, future-focused solutions.”

This focus is grounded in the recognition that start-ups and scale-ups are key to shaping future economies, yet often face structural barriers that limit their ability to move beyond early-stage development. The Innovate For Tomorrow Impact Accelerator has been designed specifically to address this gap by embedding entrepreneurs within a broader enabling ecosystem, moving philanthropy from funding support alone to active platform-building.

“We recognize that, while start-ups are agile, fast-moving and led by a spirit of innovation, they typically lack access to large-scale platforms to test and deploy their solutions. Our program addresses this gap by providing scale-ups with access to Dubai Holding’s diverse ecosystem. We provide access to our markets, infrastructure and industry environments to enable entrepreneurs to pilot and scale their ideas effectively.”

MEASURING WHAT MATTERS MOST

Dubai Holding’s approach to start-up integration is driven by the view that funding alone is insufficient to unlock scalable innovation. The emphasis has shifted toward enabling real-world validation within operational ecosystems.

“Many times, the conversation around supporting start-ups begins and ends with funding.”

While financial support remains important, the organization identified a deeper need among early-stage companies: the ability to test, refine and validate their solutions before scaling. This insight became a defining factor in reshaping its accelerator model.

“We designed the Innovate For Tomorrow Impact Accelerator specifically to go beyond this.”

As a result, the program evolved from a competition-led format in its inaugural edition to a more structured, intensive 12-week accelerator. The current model includes more than 15 masterclasses and workshops spanning business development, market entry, finance, technical guidance and legal compliance, along with 20 hours of mentorship per scale-up delivered by industry experts.

A key differentiator lies in how the program embeds start-ups directly into Dubai Holding’s ecosystem, allowing them to move beyond advisory support into applied testing environments. Participants gain access to markets, infrastructure and operational business units, enabling them to pilot solutions at scale within real-world settings.

“While financial support is vital fuel for growth, our conversations with scale-ups revealed a greater need to validate and scale their solutions in real-world environments.”

This is further reinforced by a fully funded pilot component that enables innovators to transition from concept to implementation in live operations. Financial backing also remains an integral part of the model, with the latest cycle awarding AED 850,000 in cash prizes to winners and runners-up.

Taken together, the program reflects a clear shift in emphasis: from supporting ideas at an early stage to actively enabling deployment, validation and market readiness.

Dubai Holding’s evaluation framework reinforces this approach, with impact assessed “holistically, across social, environmental and business dimensions.” Each solution is evaluated against defined criteria, including impact potential, scalability, market validation and relevance to real-world challenges, ensuring that selected innovations are “relevant, commercially viable and sustainable.”

This structured assessment at the outset ensures that participating start-ups are positioned to leverage the ecosystem fully. From there, the focus shifts to outcomes that deliver measurable environmental and social impact while also demonstrating strong business performance and long-term scalability.

DEFINING SUCCESS, FIVE YEARS OUT

The UAE is already positioned at the forefront of innovation and entrepreneurship, supported by a strong policy environment and ambitious national strategies, including Net Zero 2050 and the Circular Economy Policy 2031. A growing focus on artificial intelligence, research and development, and sustainable manufacturing further underscores the scale of opportunity emerging across the country.

Initiatives like the Innovate For Tomorrow Impact Accelerator are closely aligned with these national priorities, with their role defined as “to champion enterprising and sustainable solutions by connecting entrepreneurs with corporates, capital and real market opportunities.”

The program also serves as a gateway for global innovation into the UAE, receiving more than 1,400 submissions from 93 countries this year alone. The selected cohort includes founders from Spain, India, Denmark, the Netherlands, the UAE and beyond, a diversity that “enriches the innovation landscape with diverse perspectives and solutions, supporting the critical transition to a circular economy.”

The focus is now on further scaling this model, particularly by expanding participation from corporate partners. The aim is to “bring in an expanded pool of corporate partners so that solutions can be piloted across multiple platforms,” an approach expected to significantly amplify impact while strengthening the UAE’s position as a global hub for sustainable innovation.

Within this broader ecosystem, there is also a deeper reflection on how corporations deploy influence. Too often, their role is narrowly defined by funding, overlooking the structural power embedded within their operations.

“Corporations often underestimate the power of their own ecosystems.”

In reality, corporate impact extends well beyond capital allocation. Organizations can shape markets through procurement decisions, strategic partnerships, access to infrastructure, and their capacity to connect innovators with customers. When leveraged intentionally, these mechanisms can accelerate the adoption and scaling of innovative solutions at pace.

“Beyond funding, they can shape markets through procurement, partnerships, infrastructure and access to customers. When leveraged effectively, this influence can accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions at scale.”

Through programs such as the Innovate For Tomorrow Impact Accelerator, Dubai Holding seeks to operationalize this philosophy by building initiatives rooted in both market needs and institutional strengths. The starting point is a deliberate identification of priority challenges, followed by the design of programs aligned with the organization’s unique capabilities.

“We start by identifying the most pressing challenges and opportunities in today’s landscape. From there, we design initiatives that have a clear purpose, built specifically around what we, as Dubai Holding, have to offer.”

The underlying principle is that the most meaningful corporate impact is achieved not only through financial support but also through the strategic use of institutional leverage to address systemic gaps and enable broader ecosystem change.

For Dubai Holding, this long-term vision is anchored in a more structured and measurable approach to philanthropy. Success begins with clearly defined goals and impact targets across priority areas that are currently being formalized.

“Success, for us, starts with defining a clear ambition and setting measurable impact targets across our priority areas, which we are currently formalizing.”

Over a five-year horizon, the focus shifts to building a portfolio of programs firmly grounded in evidence, supported by robust data collection and consistent impact measurement frameworks. The emphasis is on ensuring that outcomes are not only tracked but can be meaningfully demonstrated over time.

“Over the next five years, success will mean building a portfolio of programs that are fully evidence-based, with strong data collection and impact measurement systems in place.”

At its core, success is defined by tangible, real-world outcomes across the ecosystem in which Dubai Holding operates. This includes enabling entrepreneurs, accelerating circular-economy innovation, and addressing broader societal challenges at scale, with outcomes that can be clearly demonstrated rather than implied.

“Ultimately, it is about demonstrating that our work is driving real, tangible change, whether that is empowering entrepreneurs, advancing circular economy solutions, or addressing societal challenges at scale.”