Dubai Startup Hub, an initiative of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus (Dtec), a wholly owned tech co-working space by Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), Wednesday announced, five home-grown startup projects from the UAE are one step closer to launching after completing the second phase of the Emirati Development Program, which comprised of one-on-one mentorship support designed to help participants take their businesses to the next level. The Emirati Development Program aims to identify, develop and mentor Emirati talent and equip them with practical business knowledge and entrepreneurship experience. Following the second phase and based on the demonstrated progress within the program Latifa Bin Haidar of AI-powered real estate platform Baytuki was selected to receive additional business acceleration support from programme organizers. The package includes a one-year free company setup at Dtec, a mentorship session offered by Dtec Ventures, free 10-hours access to Dtec's meeting rooms, as well as showcasing her idea at Dubai Chamber's stand at GITEX 2020 and access to public speaking opportunities with Dubai Startup Hub. Sultan Alhosani and Fahad Alzarooni of TutorMe, a platform connecting highly qualified tutors to students; Alanoud Mubarak of CoDevelop, a provider of digital services and products; Hassan Kiyany of Editvid, an on-demand video creation service platform powered by humans and artificial intelligence; and Roudha Alawadhi of Mzarrai; a fashion retailer, were selected and awarded six-months free access to Dtec co-working facilities, a mentorship session offered by Dtec Ventures, free 5-hours access to Dtec's meeting rooms, as well as free access to a training session about entrepreneurship during December 2020. The top five candidates went through a one-month intensive mentorship programme covering key business functions such as financial models, marketing, sales and research. During the first phase of the program, 30 Emirati entrepreneurs took part in the EDP Training & Mentorship Academy, a four-week training program hosted by Dubai Startup Hub, and Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus (Dtec). These 30 startups are on track to expand their operations and create an additional 150 private sector jobs by 2021. Hans Henrik Christensen, vice president at Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus (Dtec), said: "Entrepreneurship is a promising opportunity for ambitious youth that are keen to kick-off their professional careers with their own start-ups. This has become a global trend, in which the UAE leads the region." He added: "The Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus is keen to empower young entrepreneurs with advanced skills and provide them with creative and advisory support to transform their ideas to successful realities. Our collaboration with Dubai Chamber on the Emirati Development Programme contributes to building up a new generation of young Emirati entrepreneurs to drive futuristic and highly-flexible start-ups with the help of the latest technological developments." Natalia Sycheva, manager of entrepreneurship at Dubai Chamber, noted that the entrepreneurs participating in the second phase of the Emirati Development Program showed tremendous potential as they worked closely with experts from Al Mentor, regional leading e-learning platform tailored to for an Arabic-speaking audience, to develop their business plans and prepare for market launch. "The remarkable growth shown by the candidates in phase two reflected the effectiveness of this unique program in giving aspiring Emirati entrepreneurs the guidance, knowledge and tools they need to build viable businesses that are setup for success," said Sycheva. She added that the Emirati Development Program was launched by Dubai Startup Hub earlier this year, with the Training and Mentorship Academy, in partnership with Dtec being the first engagement with the aim of encouraging and increasing participation of talented UAE nationals in the private sector and provide them with an ideal platform to harness their entrepreneurial potential. To ensure ongoing and continuous support to promising national talent, in December 2020, Dubai Startup Hub will run a further Training Bootcamp, open to Emirati students, professionals, entrepreneurs, as well as members of the public with an interest in technology. The bootcamp is supported by leading industry experts, certified trainers and technology entrepreneurs who will share valuable insights and knowledge, practical advice and useful tips to encourage interest in both entrepreneurship and private sector work. Established by Dubai Chamber in 2016, Dubai Startup Hub is the first initiative of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region. The hub has been designed to emphasis the value of public and private sector collaboration and embodies the aim of encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship as a main driver of the economy of Dubai and the UAE. — SG
