His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, met with more than 40 founders and chief executives of Indian unicorn enterprises, members of the Griffin Club for Indian Billionaire Entrepreneurs. The session was also attended by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance of the UAE.
During the discussions, Sheikh Hamdan emphasized that building cross-sector and cross-border partnerships remains a fundamental pillar of Dubai’s forward-looking development model. He highlighted that the emirate’s approach to fostering international collaboration serves as a key driver for shaping a prosperous global future, consistent with its long-term strategic vision.
He further noted that under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, the city continues to advance economically with consistent growth. Dubai’s progressive business ecosystem, competitive investment frameworks, and supportive policies have strengthened its global standing as a preferred hub for unicorns and emerging start-ups seeking to expand regionally and internationally.
Sheikh Hamdan also reaffirmed the leadership’s unwavering support for entrepreneurs, investors, and unicorn companies, emphasizing that this commitment is reflected in Dubai’s flexible legislative environment, advanced digital infrastructure, and efficient governmental systems. These factors collectively enhance innovation and confidence in the emirate’s business environment.
The meeting formed part of the World Governments Summit – Griffin Dialogue, aimed at fostering new channels of collaboration and knowledge-sharing between entrepreneurs and governments worldwide, while showcasing successful models of transforming start-ups into influential global enterprises.
Key areas of discussion included expanding cross-sector cooperation in the digital economy, advanced technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Participants also addressed global trends in developing a knowledge-driven, AI-powered economy that promotes sustainable growth and explored the pathways through which start-ups can evolve into unicorns, leveraging the UAE’s supportive legislative framework, technological infrastructure, and dynamic investment climate.
The delegation of unicorn founders featured over forty distinguished entrepreneurs representing vital sectors that shape the future economy, including technology, education, healthcare, fintech, space, retail, logistics, and delivery, among others.
Also present at the meeting were His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, Vice Chairman of the World Governments Summit; His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism; and Mohamed Alsharhan, Managing Director of the World Governments Summit.
