Blog

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum visited the 10th edition of Expand North Star 2025, the world’s largest event for startups and investors. Organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre and hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, the event is taking place at Dubai Harbour from 12 to 15 October.

His Highness praised Expand North Star as a global platform that connects the world’s brightest entrepreneurial minds with investors, accelerating the growth of the startup ecosystem and the digital economy. He noted that the exhibition reflects Dubai’s vision to inspire innovation, empower talent, and create boundless opportunities for the future.

His Highness said: “Expand North Star embodies Dubai’s aspirations to build the world’s most dynamic digital economy, where ambition meets innovation, and ideas evolve into ventures that shape a better tomorrow. The exhibition reaffirms Dubai’s position as a global incubator for talent and investment, an environment that transforms creativity into tangible achievements enhancing competitiveness, sustainability, and quality of life.”

His Highness was accompanied by His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications and Chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy; His Excellency Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers; and Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.

Exploring innovation 
During his visit, His Highness toured several national and corporate pavilions, met with investors and representatives of leading technology and AI firms, and interacted with leaders of unicorn startups.

He began his tour at the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) pavilion, where he was briefed on initiatives supporting the knowledge economy, next-generation communications, and digital infrastructure, enabling AI and Internet-of-Things innovations. At the Dutch pavilion, His Highness reviewed startups focused on clean and deep technologies and the research partnerships that foster sustainability and innovation. He also visited the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy pavilion, where he was briefed on initiatives to empower entrepreneurs, enhance access to funding, and attract global talent to Dubai’s startup ecosystem.

Strengthening investor connections
His Highness met with 15 investors in technology and AI-focused companies. Discussions addressed global investment trends in transformative technologies and the opportunities Dubai offers for developing innovative business models. His Highness highlighted the emirate’s initiatives to strengthen connections between venture capital funds and startups, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global hub for innovation and investment.

Empowering unicorns
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed also met with representatives of unicorn startups to discuss strategies for their international expansion out of Dubai, as well as the importance of cross-sector partnerships in accelerating the adoption of advanced technologies. Discussions covered policies that support sustainable growth, talent development, and easier access to capital and markets.

Dialogue session
His Highness attended a dialogue session featuring His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama and Yasir Khan, Editor-in-Chief of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The session explored ‘The Next Decade of Startup Innovation’ and the UAE’s role as a global startup centre. Discussions highlighted how companies in AI, deep technology, and digital platforms will drive the next wave of growth, as well as the role of advanced infrastructure and flexible regulatory frameworks in transforming Dubai into a launchpad for global enterprises.

Global platform for innovation
Part of GITEX GLOBAL 2025, Expand North Star brings together 2,000 of the world’s most promising startups — including 40 unicorns — and more than 1,200 investors from 180 countries managing assets exceeding $ 1.1 trillion.

The four-day event features a comprehensive programme of summits and interactive zones showcasing innovation and investment opportunities in future-critical sectors. Highlights include the GITEX ScaleX Ventures Summit, the Climate Capital Summit, the GITEX Digital Assets Forum, the Future Blockchain Summit, which spotlights breakthroughs in Web3, fintech, and digital technologies, and the second edition of the Supernova Challenge 2.0, the world’s largest startup pitch competition, with a total prize pool exceeding US$300,000.
.