The Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) has unveiled the ‘Employee to Entrepreneur Programme,’ an initiative designed to empower its employees and those across affiliated economic zones to launch and grow their own startups.
The move supports the national campaign ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World,’ championed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The programme aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial culture in Dubai by equipping employees with the skills and resources to transform innovative ideas into viable businesses that contribute to the UAE’s knowledge-based economy. It aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which targets positioning Dubai among the world’s top three urban economies and establishing 30 unicorn companies by 2030.
Yousuf Behzad, Chief People & Strategic Transformation Officer at DIEZ, highlighted that the initiative leverages the Authority’s existing support ecosystem to enable employees to launch ventures that drive sustainable economic growth.
“Through this programme, we aim to identify entrepreneurial talent within DIEZ’s workforce and turn their ideas into impactful businesses,”
he said.
Participants gain access to DIEZ’s advanced infrastructure, licensing services, and strategic initiatives, as well as advisory and investment support from Oraseya Capital. They can develop projects and prototypes within SANDBOX, DIEZ’s accelerator for emerging tech companies, and scale operations via Scality and the Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus (Dtec), the region’s largest tech hub and co-working space.
Structured in three phases—idea development, planning and model building, and launch and expansion—the programme evaluates ideas on economic feasibility, scalability, strategic relevance, and social impact. Its first edition has already attracted innovative proposals across technology, mobility, healthcare, and design, reflecting the diverse talents within DIEZ’s workforce.
News Source: Dubai Media Office
