Dubai SME has launched Founders of Tomorrow, a national programme that transforms how Emirati university students build businesses, by solving real problems for government agencies and corporations before they even graduate.
Developed in partnership with INJAZ UAE, the initiative creates a direct pipeline from academic innovation to market-ready enterprises, embedding entrepreneurship into Dubai’s institutional fabric rather than treating it as an isolated campus activity.
Solving Real Problems, Not Classroom Exercises
The programme connects talented Emirati university students with pressing real-world challenges from government, semi-government, and corporate entities, grounding innovation in operational and sector-specific realities to ensure entrepreneurship is market-driven and outcome-focused.
This isn’t theoretical entrepreneurship. Students work in multidisciplinary teams tackling priority sector challenges while receiving structured mentoring, hands-on guidance, and challenge-based learning delivered by INJAZ UAE. The most promising concepts advance into Dubai SME’s ecosystem for incubation, funding facilitation, market access, and government procurement support.
“This initiative exemplifies the collaborative spirit between government and private sector that defines Dubai’s approach to economic transformation,” said Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, Acting CEO of Dubai SME. “It strengthens Dubai’s position as a global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation by creating a practical pathway from education to enterprise and reinforcing sustained government support for Emirati entrepreneurs.”
Beyond Mentorship: Access to the Full Ecosystem
Qualifying participants gain access to Dubai SME’s integrated service suite, designed to support entrepreneurs at every stage. This includes business incubation, mentorship and capacity-building, funding opportunity facilitation, market access support, and government procurement enablement. These services empower entrepreneurs to achieve sustainable growth while enhancing competitiveness within Dubai’s SME ecosystem.
Razan Bashiti, Chief Executive Officer of INJAZ UAE, emphasised the programme’s economic focus. “Founders of Tomorrow converts youth potential into tangible economic impact by equipping students to develop market-ready solutions aligned with Dubai’s long-term economic ambitions.”
The D33 Connection
The initiative directly supports the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to double Dubai’s economy by 2033. Founders of Tomorrow aligns with D33’s priority of nurturing a new generation of forward-thinking, resilient Emirati entrepreneurs as part of a globally competitive SME landscape.
The programme contributes to Dubai SME’s ambitious target of facilitating 27,000 new Emirati businesses and enabling 8,000 SMEs to grow by 2033. By starting the entrepreneurial journey during university rather than after graduation, Dubai is compressing the timeline from idea to scaled business.
Why This Model Works
Traditional entrepreneurship programmes often struggle with the valley between academic innovation and commercial viability. Students develop solutions for hypothetical problems, then face the harsh reality when entering the market. Founders of Tomorrow eliminates this disconnect by ensuring every project addresses an actual institutional need from day one.
Government and corporate entities benefit from fresh perspectives on operational challenges while building relationships with emerging talent. Students gain market validation, industry connections, and institutional credibility that would typically take years to establish. Dubai’s economy gets a steady stream of startups pre-vetted for market relevance and aligned with national priorities.
For Emirati university students with entrepreneurial ambitions, Founders of Tomorrow represents an opportunity to move from building businesses in isolation to launching ventures with institutional backing, market validation, and clear pathways to scale from day one.
