Dubai SME has folded the Hamdan Innovation Incubator into Dubai Founders HQ, cementing a single, unified pathway for Emirati entrepreneurs to move from early ideas to investable businesses within the emirate's startup ecosystem.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development, part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, confirmed the integration this week. Hi2, launched in 2014 under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has spent more than a decade backing Emirati founders. It now operates as part of Dubai Founders HQ, giving entrepreneurs direct access to a wider network of mentors, investors, corporates, and growth programmes.
To mark the shift, applications have opened for a new 16-week technology incubator programme aimed at 20 Emirati entrepreneurs. The programme starts in October 2026 at Dubai Founders HQ, a joint initiative of DET and the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy launched in 2025 under the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33. It targets founders at the earliest stages, from those with a promising idea to those already building a minimum viable product. Participants will get support validating market opportunities, shaping product strategy, and laying commercial foundations, with continued access to Dubai Founders HQ's broader ecosystem after graduation.
Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, CEO of Dubai SME, said embedding Hi2 within Dubai Founders HQ creates a structured, end-to-end route for Emirati talent, from first idea to investable business. He added that the programme welcomes founders regardless of prior funding or company formation, building a stronger national startup pipeline.
The move supports D33's goal of doubling Dubai's economy by 2033 and reinforces the city's position as a global hub for business. Applications for the Hi2 programme close in August 2026.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
