Startup funding in the UAE

Yes, where the programme says so on its own site: Hub71 (at least one founder is expected to move to Abu Dhabi), in5 Dubai (all nationalities welcome), Sheraa (a business license in Sharjah for at least two years), Catalyst (a mandate to set up the company in Masdar City), MBRIF (UAE-based or willing to be based in the UAE), Oraseya Capital (an existing tie to Dubai and the UAE), Leo Capital, AngelSpark, Keiretsu Forum MENA and VentureSouq (VSQ). Plus VC and Dubai Angel Investors (DAI) are limited to the MENA region, and Khalifa Fund to businesses 100% owned by UAE nationals.

Emirates Development Bank (EDB) and Khalifa Fund (loans), MBRIF (loan guarantees), Intelak (AED 50K grant), Sheraa, TiE Women MENA (cash prizes), in5 Dubai, Plug and Play Abu Dhabi's ADGM track and the lenders Stride Ventures, Ruya Partners and Partners for Growth (PFG). Programmes that take equity include Hub71 (cash via SAFE note), Catalyst (SAFE notes), the Presight AI Accelerator ($50K in-kind SAFE note with no discount or valuation cap, conditional on at least one joint contract with Presight/G42 within twelve months) and Further Ventures (common stock as co-founder).

Emirates Development Bank (EDB) lends up to AED 2 million per startup without collateral, with tenors up to 72 months, to UAE-licensed startups and SMEs in its priority sectors, and offers asset-backed financing of up to 70% of the assets. Khalifa Fund's financing programmes, including a First-time Founders Loan, are for businesses 100% owned by UAE nationals in Abu Dhabi (loan amounts not published), and MBRIF guarantees bank loans through partner banks, case by case. From Series A onwards, Stride Ventures provides venture debt averaging $4M, repayable over 6 to 18 months.

It depends on the programme. Emirates Development Bank (EDB) lends to UAE-licensed startups and SMEs, and Khalifa Fund to businesses legally established and operating in Abu Dhabi. Sheraa requires a business license in Sharjah for at least two years, Catalyst a mandate to set up the company in Masdar City, and Oraseya Capital supports startups with an existing tie to Dubai and the UAE. MBRIF takes companies that are UAE-based or willing to be based in the UAE, and Hub71 expects at least one founder to move to Abu Dhabi and lists an ADGM tech licence among its benefits.

Hub71 includes an ADGM tech licence with support towards housing, office space and health insurance, Sheraa lists a free business license among its benefits, in5 Dubai provides a subsidized business licence and coworking workspace, and twofour54 offers licence-fee waivers for new entrepreneurs and freelancers. Masdar City Free Zone does not publish package prices. In DIFC, 0% corporate tax applies only as a Qualifying Free Zone Person on qualifying income, and 9% on non-qualifying income and on mainland-sourced business.

Hub71 is accepting applications for Cohort 21; its deadline is published only as February 2027, with no closing day, and the programme starts in September 2027. MBRIF's Guarantee Scheme and Accelerator (Cohort 13) take applications through its application portal, Dubai Angel Investors (DAI) holds pitch nights on the second Tuesday of every month and AngelSpark takes rolling applications. The Zayed Sustainability Prize has closed submissions for its 2027 cycle; its published timeline runs submissions from January to June.

Bank-backed investors include the $100M Emirates NBD Innovation Fund (early to growth stage), ADIB Ventures (Sharia-compliant minority equity, mainly at Series A), NeoVentures (Mashreq) and CBIx, and VentureSouq (VSQ) runs an active FinTech fund. The CBUAE FinTech Sandbox gives regulatory permission to test, co-sandboxing with ADGM, which runs the RegLab sandbox, and DIFC; the DIFC Innovation Hub — Fintech Accelerator offers DFSA sandbox access without equity but currently advertises no cohort.

Through the funds it backs, among them MEVP, Shorooq Partners, Nuwa Capital, BECO Capital, COTU Ventures, Global Ventures, BYLD, Leo Capital and Partech, or through its direct equity tickets in startups anchored in Dubai/DIFC. Shorooq Partners takes pitches through its own “Get funded” form, BECO Capital through the founder route of its contact form and Leo Capital through a pitch form that needs no warm introduction. The map also shows which funds name Jada Fund of Funds, Saudi Venture Capital (SVC), Al Waha Fund of Funds or QIA Fund of Funds as backers.