Middle East
United Arab Emirates AI startups & tech ecosystem (2026)
Dubai and Abu Dhabi as regional hubs. United Arab Emirates is home to 34 AI & tech startups, 10 investors, and 5 tracked founders and operators, with the largest hub in Dubai. Total tracked funding to date: $5.3B.
Across 2 cities, the largest startup hubs are Dubai (25 startups, $2.7B raised), and Abu Dhabi (9 startups, $2.6B raised). The most active sectors are Fintech, Blockchain, E-commerce, Web3, and Artificial Intelligence.
Top United Arab Emirates startups by total score include Careem, Binance, Telegram, Emaar, and RemotePass — browse the full ranked list below or jump straight into search.
- 1Careem85Dubai$766.7M
- 2Binance84Abu Dhabi$2.0B
- 3Telegram71Dubai$63.0M
- 4Emaar63Dubai$98.0M
- 5RemotePass61Dubai$17.4M
- 6Spiro61Dubai$622.5M
- 7deBridge51Dubai$10.5M
- 8Solmate50Abu Dhabi$600.0M
- 9Udora48Dubai$10.0M
- 10Mara47Dubai$973.0M
- 11Oncount45Dubai$1.5M
- 12Playgama43Dubai$3.0M
- 13Workz41Dubai$63.0M
- 14instashop40Dubai$10.0M
- 15Mavryk Network38Dubai$35.2M
- 16Keeperz37Dubai$342.7K
- 17Core4228Abu Dhabi
- 18Mashhor AI21Dubai
- 19AHS Properties20Dubai
- 20DXB APPS – Leading Mobile App Development Dubai19Dubai
- 21T.Q. Tech18Abu Dhabi
- 22G4218Abu Dhabi
- 23Dubai International Financial Centre17Dubai
- 24Emirates17Dubai
- 25MediConnect10Dubai
- 26TAQA Group10Abu Dhabi
- 27IRENA7Abu Dhabi
- 28G12 Digital0Dubai
- 29Qasioun Partners—Dubai
- 30Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi—Abu Dhabi
- 31Technology Innovation Institute—Abu Dhabi
- 32Mercans—Dubai
- 33MovitOn—Dubai
- 34Limoverse—Dubai
| # | Company | City | Funding | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Careem The 'everything app' for the Middle East and North Africa, offering ride-hailing, food delivery, and more. | Dubai | $766.7M | 85 |
| 2 | Binance The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange platform providing a comprehensive blockchain and digital asset ecosystem. | Abu Dhabi | $2.0B | 84 |
| 3 | Telegram A cloud-based, cross-platform instant messaging service with a focus on speed, security, and privacy. | Dubai | $63.0M | 71 |
| 4 | Emaar Global real estate developer known for iconic landmarks like Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall. | Dubai | $98.0M | 63 |
| 5 | RemotePass Global employment, payroll, and spend platform for hiring, paying, and supporting workers across borders. | Dubai | $17.4M | 61 |
| 6 | Spiro Africa's largest electric vehicle company, specializing in electric motorbikes and battery-swapping infrastructure. | Dubai | $622.5M | 61 |
| 7 | deBridge Cross-chain interoperability and liquidity transfer protocol for secure asset and data transfers across blockchains. | Dubai | $10.5M | 51 |
| 8 | Solmate Solana infrastructure and treasury company focused on Abu Dhabi, building validators and offering financial services. | Abu Dhabi | $600.0M | 50 |
| 9 | Udora A global gifting marketplace connecting customers with local creators. | Dubai | $10.0M | 48 |
| 10 | Mara A platform for cross-border payments and remittances, connecting Africa to the world. | Dubai | $973.0M | 47 |
| 11 | Oncount AI-powered accounting platform simplifying finance for SMBs in the UAE and beyond. | Dubai | $1.5M | 45 |
| 12 | Playgama Platform for HTML5 game developers to publish, monetize, and scale games globally. | Dubai | $3.0M | 43 |
| 13 | Workz A digital identity and mobile solutions provider. | Dubai | $63.0M | 41 |
| 14 | instashop instashop is an online marketplace in the UAE and Egypt, with its headquarters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Founded in 2015 as an online grocery delivery pla | Dubai | $10.0M | 40 |
| 15 | Mavryk Network Layer-1 blockchain for regulated real-world asset tokenization and DeFi integration. | Dubai | $35.2M | 38 |
| 16 | Keeperz A UAE-based food-tech startup offering an all-in-one marketing solution for the F&B industry. | Dubai | $342.7K | 37 |
| 17 | Core42 A G42 company providing sovereign AI and cloud solutions for individuals, enterprises, and nations. | Abu Dhabi | — | 28 |
| 18 | Mashhor AI AI-powered marketing platform for the Arab world, enabling brand growth and scaling. | Dubai | — | 21 |
| 19 | AHS Properties A rapidly scaling real estate platform in Dubai. | Dubai | — | 20 |
| 20 | DXB APPS – Leading Mobile App Development Dubai Leading mobile app development company in Dubai specializing in custom iOS and Android applications. | Dubai | — | 19 |
| 21 | T.Q. Tech TAQA drives innovation, provides economic growth, and enables sustainable energy. | Abu Dhabi | — | 18 |
| 22 | G42 A leading AI and cloud computing company focused on sovereign AI infrastructure. | Abu Dhabi | — | 18 |
| 23 | Dubai International Financial Centre The Dubai International Financial Centre is a special economic zone in Dubai covering 110 ha, established in 2004 as a financial hub for companies operating thr | Dubai | — | 17 |
| 24 | Emirates A major international airline based in Dubai, providing global passenger and cargo transport services. | Dubai | — | 17 |
| 25 | MediConnect Telemedicine platform with integrated remote patient monitoring and AI-driven chronic disease management. | Dubai | — | 10 |
| 26 | TAQA Group A diversified utilities and energy group focused on power, water, and low-carbon solutions. | Abu Dhabi | — | 10 |
| 27 | IRENA International Renewable Energy Agency promoting sustainable energy transition. | Abu Dhabi | — | 7 |
| 28 | G12 Digital Full-service digital marketing agency in the UAE driving business growth through data-driven strategies. | Dubai | — | 0 |
| 29 | Qasioun Partners Specialist financial advisory and corporate and investment banking capabilities. | Dubai | — | — |
| 30 | Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi A global initiative by Abu Dhabi focused on building anticipatory health systems through population sensing. | Abu Dhabi | — | — |
| 31 | Technology Innovation Institute Applied research pillar focused on advanced technologies. | Abu Dhabi | — | — |
| 32 | Mercans A global payroll technology leader offering a single global payroll solution across 160+ countries. | Dubai | — | — |
| 33 | MovitOn Decentralized logistics platform leveraging AI and blockchain for peer-to-peer deliveries. | Dubai | — | — |
| 34 | Limoverse A blockchain-based health and wellness ecosystem rewarding users for healthy activities. | Dubai | — | — |
Frequently asked questions about United Arab Emirates startups
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United Arab Emirates AI startup ecosystem — frequently asked
How many AI startups are in United Arab Emirates?
StartupHub.ai tracks 34 startups headquartered in United Arab Emirates, with $5.3B in total tracked funding across 2 cities.
What are the top startup cities in United Arab Emirates?
The top startup cities in United Arab Emirates are Dubai (25 startups), Abu Dhabi (9 startups).
Which sectors are United Arab Emirates startups focused on?
The most common sectors for United Arab Emirates startups are Fintech, Blockchain, E-commerce, Web3, Artificial Intelligence.
How many investors are active in United Arab Emirates?
There are 10 investors tracked in United Arab Emirates on StartupHub.ai — venture capital firms, angel investors, corporate investors, and family offices. Browse all United Arab Emirates investors.
How is United Arab Emirates startup data sourced?
Every United Arab Emirates profile on StartupHub.ai is built from structured HQ-country fields, public registry data (Companies House, SEC, INSEE, OrgBook, etc.), founder LinkedIn signals, and verified company websites. Profiles are refreshed continuously as new funding rounds and team changes are detected. More on our methodology.
What is the total startup funding in United Arab Emirates?
Startups headquartered in United Arab Emirates have raised a total of $5.3B in tracked funding on StartupHub.ai.