Our second September 2026 issue is headlined by Captain Pradeep Singh, founder of Aethon Group and Karma Developers, who reflects on more than two decades of building businesses from #Dubai across shipping, real estate, technology, education and #investment. Also in this issue: Jake Dyson on engineering the future with @dyson; Khalil Khamis on building an F&B platform in Lebanon and bringing #Pinkberry back; highlights from the #Sustainability Innovation Forum & Awards 2026; the GCC’s growing #ETF market; @airzaihq’s #AI-powered scent technology; and more. Read the full issue HERE: issuu.com/entmagazineme/docs… ✍️EntME Editorial Team: @tashapupic | Aalia Mehreen Ahmed | @kagustin_ 🎨 Design: Simona El Khoury

Global tech giant Amazon (@amazonae) and Ghitha Holding (@ghitha.holding), an Abu Dhabi-based food production, agriculture, and distribution group and subsidiary of 2PointZero Group (@2pointzerogroup), have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore a seasonal fresh produce initiative connecting farming directly to #Amazon’s supply chain. The proposed initiative would draw on Ghitha Holding’s agricultural expertise and infrastructure, with Amazon’s customer demand data guiding crop selection. It aims to deliver freshly harvested, locally grown produce to customers in minutes through Amazon Now. “Through this collaboration, we have an opportunity to bring together our agricultural expertise with Amazon’s reach and customer insights to get fresh, locally produced food to customers more efficiently,” Falal Ameen, Group CEO, Ghitha Holding PJSC said. “Just as importantly, it will help create more opportunities for local #farmers, strengthen the UAE’s #agricultural ecosystem, and support the continued growth of local food production.” mena.entrepreneur.com/busine…

Our October 1, 2026 issue is headlined by Brandon Dawson (@BrandonMDawson) and his US$90 million bet on human optimization in #AbuDhabi! Also in this issue: an exclusive with @Bosslogic on turning his creative passion into a global brand; highlights from our Tech Innovation Forum and Awards 2026; @MashreqNeo's Chiraag Jogia; #Object1’s Egor Maslennikov; and more. Read now on @issuu: issuu.com/entmagazineme/docs…

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into #childhood and #education, Sophie Simpson, Managing Director of Ruder Finn Atteline (@Atteline), raises an important question: What role should #AI play in shaping the next generation? In her op-ed, Simpson reflects on the growing presence of AI-powered chatbots and companions in children's lives, drawing on insights from Professor Dana Suskind's book 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥. While these technologies offer opportunities for learning and development, she emphasizes that they should never replace human connection. "For all the benefits technology has brought into our lives, some of the most meaningful aspects of childhood have never thrived on convenience. Human relationships are messy. Friendships involve compromise. Families disagree. #Children experience disappointment, frustration and rejection. Parents are imperfect. Conversations are interrupted. Siblings bicker. Plans change," she notes. "Yet according to Suskind, these everyday moments are not obstacles to development; they are fundamental to it." Simpson adds that these everyday experiences play an essential role in helping children develop empathy, resilience, emotional regulation and social understanding. For the author, the challenge is not whether children should have access to technology, but whether they have enough opportunities to develop the uniquely human qualities that #technology cannot fully replicate. "While AI may help children find answers more quickly, it is the beautifully imperfect interactions of everyday life that teach them how to listen, empathize, collaborate, create and connect," she writes. mena.entrepreneur.com/techno…

Dubai Design District (@d3dubai), the @TECOMGroupDubai business district for the creative sector, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Canadian University Dubai (@cuduae) to support emerging design talent in the region. Details HERE: mena.entrepreneur.com/busine…

For Saira Sheikh, the journey to a traditional #publishing deal begins with six years of private journal entries, no industry connections, and little online presence. In her op-ed, the #UAE-based #author, #entrepreneur and mental health advocate reflects on turning those pages into “Healing in the Shadow of Loss,” and the lessons she learns about finding readers, building a community, and understanding the business of #books. “I self-published this book first, and through grit and belief in my own voice, ultimately earned a traditional publishing deal," she recalls. "A result of what it takes to keep going when you believe in what you’ve written.” Sheikh describes self-publishing as a deliberate choice: she believes the industry is not ready for her book, but she is unwilling to wait for permission to share it. "So I built it. My own audience, my own platform, my own readers, one at a time," she writes. "That foundation is exactly what opened the doors that followed." About a year later, she hears back from a traditional publisher she has sent her manuscript to. This time, she explains, she brings not only a manuscript to the conversation but also an existing audience and a community around her work. Her advice to #writers standing where she once stood: “Build what’s yours before you wait for a deal to hand you a stage.” mena.entrepreneur.com/market…

The #UAE is moving beyond encouraging startup formation toward connecting founders with the talent, funding and markets they need to grow, says Ali Al Mehairi, Senior Executive Director for Business Enablement at ADGM Academy (@ADGMAcademy), the knowledge arm of #ADGM (@ADGlobalMarket). Speaking to Entrepreneur Middle East, he identifies artificial intelligence, advanced industries, sustainability and the digital economy as key areas of opportunity for the next generation of founders. “UAE National #entrepreneurs are particularly well placed to create locally relevant solutions with global potential, while generating skilled employment, intellectual property and new sources of economic value,” Al Mehairi says. “ADGM Academy’s role is to help translate that national ambition into a stronger pipeline of commercially capable, investment-ready #founders.” Preparing founders to pursue these opportunities requires practical education, according to Al Mehairi. Through ADGM Academy’s entrepreneurship programs, he emphasizes the importance of helping participants test ideas, understand customers, and develop the financial discipline to run a business. As the academy looks to expand its work across #AbuDhabi, including in Al Dhafra, Al Mehairi says it will tailor delivery to each community’s needs while maintaining consistent training standards. “Our experience in Al Ain reinforced a fundamental lesson: entrepreneurial talent exists across every community, but impact is greatest when support reflects local economic opportunities and aspirations,” he shares. [✍️: @kagustin_] mena.entrepreneur.com/entrep…

Ghaia Investment Holding and Chicago Global participated in Money20/20 Middle East in #Riyadh, where the companies discussed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in financial services, investment decision-making and institutional governance. Read more HERE: mena.entrepreneur.com/busine…

#Dubai offers a case study in how an economy absorbs disruption and restores activity as regional conflict affects aviation, shipping routes and business confidence, according to an analysis by Lucidity Insights (@LucidityInsight). Drawing on market data and conversations with startup founders and investors, the analysis examines the city’s recovery across sectors, customer groups, and consumer behavior. As the third quarter of 2026 draws to a close, it tracks what continues to expand, what finds alternative routes, and which areas still struggle. "For entrepreneurs, understanding Dubai’s recovery and where the data points can make the difference between the start of your growth story or the end," said Erika Masako Welch, Chief Content Officer, Lucidity Insights. Dubai’s experience points to seven practical dimensions of resilience: economic growth in the face of uncertainty, talent retention and population growth, continued business formation, real estate valuations holding, trade optionality, investor conviction, and identifying the pillars of economy driving Dubai’s recovery. mena.entrepreneur.com/busine…

The #UAE has unveiled the SAFE-T blueprint to combat technology-facilitated violence against women, under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU / @UAEGWU). It is being implemented through a partnership between the GWU, the Ministry of Justice (@MOJ_UAE) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (@UNODC). Sheikha Fatima said threats, abuse, blackmail, and defamation through digital channels limit #women’s ability to express themselves and participate in public life, and called for an integrated response involving governments, international organizations, technology companies and civil society. “We do not view women merely as beneficiaries of digital transformation, but as partners in leading it and shaping its future,” Sheikha Fatima said. The blueprint’s first phase builds basic digital infrastructure through a digital safety toolkit, a Global Coalition for Digital Safety and the UN Women Strategy on Technology-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls. mena.entrepreneur.com/techno…

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy (@DxbChamberDigi) will hold the awards ceremony for the third edition of the #CreateAppsChampionship on October 7 in #Dubai. The event brings together app founders and entrepreneurs building digital businesses in the city. The championship gives participants training, mentorship, connections with investors and business partners, and funding to develop and launch winning apps. Past winners include startups in delivery, property technology, recruitment and healthcare. #Boom, a #UAE-based delivery app co-founded by Mariam Khalifa Alnuaimi and Mariam Mohammed Almarri, won “Dubai’s App of the Year 2025” and “Most Impactful App.” "This recognition enabled us to build Boom and transport it from an idea into a real product," Almarri said. "Before the championship, the application was still a project in its early stages of ideation and prototyping. The funding made it possible to build a powerful tool that can truly make an impact on society." mena.entrepreneur.com/busine…

On International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, take a look at how @expocitydubai is rethinking food waste — from rescuing 19,000+ meals through Terrazo to helping circular solutions scale through its Green Innovation District. Read more HERE: mena.entrepreneur.com/busine… #InternationalDayofAwarenessofFoodLossandWaste

In an interview with Entrepreneur Middle East, H.E. Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi (@fahimaq), Chairman of the Department of Government Relations (@dgr_shj) and the Higher Committee for Economic Integration in the Emirate of Sharjah, explains why institutional partnerships are central to Sharjah’s international engagement and how cities are taking on a greater role in shaping global cooperation. “As global challenges become more interconnected, cooperation is being driven not only through traditional diplomatic channels but also through partnerships between universities, research institutions, cultural organizations, businesses and local governments,” he says. In #Sharjah, H.E. Al Qasimi traces the foundations of this approach to the emirate’s sustained investment in culture, education, heritage and knowledge under the leadership of H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. Established in 2014 to coordinate Sharjah’s international engagement, the Department of Government Relations brings these areas together by building #partnerships across sectors, he explains. "Modern international engagement cannot be viewed through a single lens. Relationships today are multidimensional," H.E. Al Qasimi states. "A partnership that begins through academia may later support innovation and investment. A cultural exchange can create opportunities for scientific research. Government dialogue often develops into broader networks connecting institutions, businesses and communities." Looking ahead, he believes cities will gain a competitive advantage by bringing different sectors together around shared goals. "Their influence will increasingly be measured by the strength of the networks they cultivate and their ability to facilitate meaningful collaboration across borders." mena.entrepreneur.com/leader…

#Amaani, a Dubai-headquartered consumer company behind the beauty brand #AÏZA, has raised US$5 million in Series A funding to support its expansion across the #GCC, particularly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. The round was led by BECO Capital (@BECOCapital), a Gulf-focused institutional venture capital firm, with participation from Homegrown Ventures and Peak XV’s Surge, taking Amaani’s total funding to US$8 million. #SaudiArabia will be the priority market, with AÏZA scheduled to launch through Ulta Beauty at Red Sea Mall in Jeddah and Riyadh Park in Riyadh at the end of September. #Kuwait and #Qatar are expected to follow in the fourth quarter of 2026. “This funding allows us to deepen what we have built in the UAE, expand across the GCC and begin proving that a brand born here can travel far beyond it,” Shubham Poddar, founder and CEO, Amaani, said. mena.entrepreneur.com/starti…

Shorooq (@ShorooqPartners), a #UAE-based multi-strategy investment firm, and Presight (@PresightAI), an Abu Dhabi-based applied artificial intelligence company majority-owned by G42 (@G42ai), have invested in US industrial robotics company Maven Robotics as part of its US$100 million Series A #funding round. The investment was made through the Presight–Shorooq AI and Bedaya Funds managed by Shorooq, alongside investors including RoboStrategy, LocalGlobe, Vine Ventures and XTX Ventures. The individual #investment amounts from Shorooq and Presight were not disclosed. Founded in 2024 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Maven Robotics develops autonomous #robots for logistics and manufacturing operations. mena.entrepreneur.com/busine…

#InnovationCity (@InnovationCityX), Ras Al Khaimah’s technology-focused free zone, has partnered with @salesforce to deploy an artificial intelligence-powered platform designed to automate parts of the company registration process. The platform uses Salesforce's Agentforce #technology to deploy #AI agents that can carry out defined registration tasks and workflows within established permissions and controls. According to the companies, the system can reduce company registration processes that previously took days or weeks to minutes, with human oversight used for cases requiring additional judgment or handling of complex exceptions. Innovation City and #Salesforce said they believe the implementation is the world’s first AI-powered company registration platform of its kind. mena.entrepreneur.com/busine…

UAE-headquartered prop trading firm @FundedNext, which was named Best Fintech Innovation at Entrepreneur Middle East's Tech Innovation Awards 2026, addresses a long-standing challenge in retail trading: many skilled traders lack the personal capital to pursue their strategies without risking their own savings. The company's winning entry highlighted its approach to removing financial barriers to trading, its growing user base and ability to operate at scale, alongside its continued investment in technology and innovation. “Talent is everywhere. Capital is not. That gap is what holds skilled traders back,” said founder and CEO Syed Abdullah Jayed. “Closing it is what we set out to do, first with a platform and now with the ecosystem we are building around it.” Read more HERE: mena.entrepreneur.com/busine…

Neo Wealth is the emerging term for a new approach to wealth building, similar to how neobanking described a new way of banking, shaped by digital transformation and changing expectations. This shift is changing what people expect from wealth management. For the next generation of investors, especially since six in ten #Dubai residents are currently under 35, building wealth is increasingly about more than access to financial products. It is about accessibility, personalisation, #technology, guidance and having investments that align with their goals and values. UAE-based CUSP Wealth (@cusp_wealth) calls this shift Neo Wealth – an approach to wealth building that reflects how the next generation wants to invest. Read more HERE: mena.entrepreneur.com/busine… #ad

BNC Media Group CEO Wissam Younane (@wissamyounane) is attending the Entrepreneurs Resilience Fund (ERF) Partners Showcase and Recognition Event today at Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK / @srtipark). Held in the presence of H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (@sheraasharjah), the event showcases the Fund’s impact and the achievements of the startups and SMEs it supports. Entrepreneur Middle East is proud to have been recognized among the partners and valuable contributors to the Fund’s efforts. (Pictured in the first slide: H.E. Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa)

The #UAE has put artificial intelligence, investment and global trade among its economic priorities during the 81st Session of the United Nations (@UN) General Assembly in New York. H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (@OFMUAE), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs (@mofauae), attended the inaugural UAE Investment Majlis, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Investment. Held under the theme “Resilient Supply Chains and Smart Logistics,” the event brought together government officials, investors and business leaders to discuss opportunities across multimodal transport, infrastructure, digital trade, #AI-enabled logistics, ports and logistics hubs. mena.entrepreneur.com/busine…