The Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, one of the three chambers under Dubai Chambers, announced that it supported the establishment and expansion of 1,690 digital startups in 2025, a 39.7% increase from 2024. The milestone reinforces Dubai’s growing position as a global destination for digital innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment.

Startups focused on artificial intelligence accounted for around 15% of the supported companies, while fintech firms accounted for 12%. Mobility technology, software-as-a-service, and e-commerce companies together accounted for 20% of the total. International companies accounted for 75% of the startups assisted by the chamber last year, highlighting Dubai’s strong global appeal as a hub for digital enterprises.

Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, and Chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said the chamber’s efforts align with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, to position the emirate as a world-leading digital economy hub.

“Guided by the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to cement Dubai’s status as a global hub for the digital economy, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy remains committed to accelerating the shift towards a fully integrated digital economy built on advanced infrastructure, agile legislation, and a pro-innovation business environment,” Al Olama said. 

He added, “At the same time, we are empowering digital companies to scale from Dubai by building an ecosystem designed for rapid growth that offers the infrastructure, regulation, and market access innovators need, enhancing the emirate’s competitiveness while attracting investment and talent across the industries of the future.”

In 2025, the chamber’s Business in Dubai platform continued to support startups through a range of corporate and business matchmaking services. The platform connects new and expanding companies with potential partners, investors, and customers. Around 48% of startups benefited from setup services and participation in accelerators and incubators, while 31% used the chamber’s broader business support services.

The chamber also played a key role in initiatives such as Create Apps in Dubai, launched in 2023 by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence. The initiative, which includes the Create Apps Championship, aims to accelerate innovation in smart application development and strengthen Dubai’s position as a global digital economy hub.

Since its launch, the championship has attracted more than 5,800 registrations across its first two editions and supported the development of over 55 smart applications. In November 2025, the chamber launched the third edition, introducing a Participant Support Programme to help high-potential teams complete their projects through business accelerator programmes. The initiative aims to support the launch of an additional 50 fully developed applications and offers funding packages exceeding AED 2.5 million (approximately $680,000).

The chamber also hosted the 10th edition of Expand North Star in October 2025. Organised by Dubai World Trade Centre at Dubai Harbour, the event attracted more than 2,000 startups, over 1,200 investors managing assets exceeding $1.1 trillion, and 40 unicorn founders with a combined valuation of $900 billion.

Throughout the year, the chamber organised 36 events to strengthen partnerships across the digital economy and conducted 17 international roadshows across Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Portugal, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vietnam, and South Korea. These engagements connected the chamber with more than 2,500 digital startups, ecosystem partners, incubators, and public- and private-sector stakeholders.

The Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy also published eight reports in 2025, including The Entrepreneur’s AI Playbook, which aims to raise awareness of AI tools that help entrepreneurs launch and scale efficiently, and a study examining foreign direct investment destinations in the technology sector.