Amar Malik, the Executive Vice President of the Tecom Group’s commercial sector and General Director of Dubai Internet City, confirmed that Dubai Internet City has established itself as the largest technology hub in the region, attracting over 8 billion dirhams in funding for startups. Today, it hosts more than 4,000 regional and global companies, including industry leaders like Google, Visa, Meta, and Nvidia, contributing to the creation of over 125,000 tech jobs and generating 65% of Dubai’s technology sector GDP.
In an interview, he stated: “We are witnessing significant growth in fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and clean energy, which are gradually becoming top priorities for companies and business owners.”
Dubai Internet City is home to hundreds of local and global firms, confirming its status as a preferred destination for major tech companies. Its integrated community is designed to meet the diverse needs of businesses of all sizes, featuring advanced infrastructure and a globally recognized legislative framework that capitalizes on Dubai’s business-friendly environment, alongside robust intellectual property protections and digital governance tailored for future requirements.
He continued: “Additionally, Dubai’s strategic location—just eight hours by air from two-thirds of the world’s population—offers access to several key global markets. This, combined with Dubai Internet City’s commitment to fostering innovation and providing comprehensive support services, creates an ideal environment for the advancement and growth of leading global tech companies.”
The impressive achievements of Dubai Internet City are evidenced by the influx of top-tier global tech firms such as Samsung, Salesforce, Alibaba Cloud, and Tata Consultancy Services, which have chosen it as their regional headquarters.
Global Platform
Malik affirmed that Dubai serves as a leading global platform for attracting talent and businesses amidst intense competition in the technology sector at both regional and global levels. He added: “Dubai Internet City, one of the ten specialized business complexes under the Tecom Group, adopts a flexible approach grounded in visionary insight to provide a complete business environment and a diverse community, uniquely capable of bridging communication and cooperation between the East and West.”
He also noted that professionals in Dubai Internet City can benefit from the career development opportunities provided by Tecom’s Dubai Knowledge Park and Dubai Academic City, which offer rich lifelong learning and academic excellence programs. Additionally, residency visas such as the Golden Visa and Remote Work Visa play a pivotal role in attracting and retaining talent, greatly benefiting the companies based in Dubai.
He stated, “These innovative solutions and services, along with the supportive legal framework and ambitious economic strategies, reinforce Dubai’s position as an attractive destination for top-tier talents from around the world. Currently, Dubai Internet City hosts over 31,000 specialists from all corners of the globe, showcasing its capability to attract more clients and expertise.”
Technology Sectors
Discussing the key technology sectors that have experienced notable growth in Dubai Internet City recently, and whether there are any emerging trends regarding the types of companies or their areas of specialization, Malik stated: “There is marked growth in areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and clean energy, which are progressively becoming priorities for businesses and owners.”
He added: “Through our leading community, we aim to enhance innovation in these emerging fields, where there is a clear trend toward companies prioritizing the adoption of these technologies, which drives progress in areas like fintech, game development, and data management.
With 4,000 clients, including major global and regional firms—such as those featured on the Fortune 500 list like Google, Visa, Meta, and Nvidia—Dubai Internet City’s leading community will continue attracting investors and innovators from around the world.”
Artificial Intelligence
Malik remarked: “Dubai plays a pioneering role in artificial intelligence, with government initiatives and leading strategies, such as the annual Dubai Plan to accelerate AI adoption, supporting the technology sector in organized ways.
Dubai Internet City hosts some of the world’s leading AI companies and provides world-class infrastructure, including 20 innovation and research centers for trailblazing firms such as 3M and Hisense, to support and empower innovators.
He added: “We anticipate the implementation of AI technology across various sectors, including cloud services and hardware/software development in the years to come. As one of the premier business complexes under Tecom Group, we are committed to providing all the necessary resources and capabilities for the responsible and sustainable development of AI technology, ensuring sustainable growth that benefits society.”
Clients and professionals located in Dubai Internet City can innovate, communicate, and collaborate with a wide array of leading companies across various fields, which receive business services from our leading complexes, such as Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai Academic City, Dubai Media City, and Dubai Science Park.
Leading Companies
Malik stated: “The presence of leading AI companies like Nvidia, SenseTime, and Samsung reflects Dubai’s leadership and excellence in the AI sector. The Impact Assessment Report of Dubai Internet City indicates startups and entrepreneurs within it have secured funding amounting to 8 billion dirhams over the years.
Dubai Internet City has seen many prominent success stories from startups and companies looking to expand, including Amazon’s acquisition of Souq.com and Uber’s purchase of Careem, which exemplify the substantial growth in our integrated community, dedicated to supporting its clients through the business incubator in5, which is a hub for startups and entrepreneurs under the Tecom Group.
Since its establishment in 2013, in5 has supported and empowered over 1,000 startups that have obtained funding exceeding 7.8 billion dirhams in specialized sectors such as technology, media, design, and sciences. The technology business incubator in5, through its innovation center in Dubai Internet City, offers essential networking, learning, and mentorship opportunities to accelerate startup growth and entrepreneurship.
Pivotal Role
Regarding the anticipated changes in the technology business environment over the next decade and the role Dubai Internet City aims to play in this transformation, Malik said: “We expect the evolution of the technology business landscape to continue, driven by rapid advancements in fields such as AI, blockchain, and clean energy.
There is no doubt that Dubai Internet City will play a pivotal and prominent role in this transformation. Our focus on technology-driven growth, coupled with our commitment to enhancing cooperation among government entities, the academic community, and key sector players, empowers startups and companies looking to expand to innovate and achieve leading solutions that contribute to building a promising future for all.”
He added: “We are steadily investing in shaping our future and expanding our operations through significant development projects, such as completing the second and third phases of the innovation center and acquiring the class-A Office Park complex to solidify Dubai’s position as a global innovation hub.
Our strategic partnerships with prominent sector entities, such as the Korean National Agency for IT Promotion and the Indian National Association of Software and Service Companies, support our ambitious vision to contribute to building the future from the heart of Dubai, where the technology sector has solidified its position as a leading global hub over the past decade, bolstered by supportive government policies and initiatives launched by our esteemed leadership as well as our significant investments in developing advanced world-class infrastructure, with a major focus on providing an integrated environment supportive of entrepreneurship.”
He further noted: “Dubai Internet City, as the leading destination in the region for top global and regional tech companies, has played an essential role in this growth; the results of the Impact Report of Dubai Internet City indicate its contribution to providing over 125,000 direct and indirect jobs and generating 65% of the GDP for Dubai’s technology sector. This sustainable growth reflects the collaborative efforts of our community to continue attracting the brightest talents, enhancing innovation, and providing a supportive environment for technological development that contributes to the growth and advancement of Dubai and the UAE.”
World’s Smartest City
Regarding Dubai’s ability to become the first city entirely reliant on artificial intelligence, and how close it is to achieving this goal, Malik stated: “Dubai’s ambition to become a leader in AI is clearly reflected by its leading government initiatives, such as the annual Dubai Plan to accelerate the adoption of AI applications and the comprehensive vision outlined by the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 through initiatives like Dubai Sandbox.”
He added: “We have observed notable progress in Dubai’s employment of AI innovations for the benefit of all community members. Its strong and advanced infrastructure, steadfast commitment to fostering innovation, and strategic partnerships play a crucial role in ensuring the optimal and most responsible applications of AI.”
He concluded that Dubai Internet City seeks to attract AI pioneers from around the globe with a shared vision to integrate and adopt AI technology across various sectors. Our leading community provides the suitable business environment to support and empower the brightest talents and establish responsible frameworks for systematically integrating AI technology into all aspects of modern life, aligned with Dubai’s proactive approach in adopting and integrating emerging technological innovations into daily processes.