Dubai has inaugurated a significant national initiative, Founders of Tomorrow, aimed at transforming academic innovation into sustainable, scalable Emirati enterprises. Spearheaded by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Dubai SME), the program partners with INJAZ UAE to establish a direct pathway between universities and the marketplace. Launched on February 12, 2026, the strategy directly addresses the need to align university entrepreneurship with real-world economic, institutional, and corporate challenges, positioning new ventures to immediately contribute to the ambitious goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.
Bridging the Gap from Campus to Enterprise
This transformative initiative is designed to bridge the long-standing divide between traditional education and high-growth enterprise. By connecting talented Emirati university students with tangible challenges provided by leading government, semi-government, and private sector entities, Founders of Tomorrow ensures that innovation is market-driven and outcome-focused. This approach is critical to supporting Dubai’s D33 agenda, which aims to double the city’s economy by 2033.
Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, Acting CEO of Dubai SME, highlighted the strategic importance of the collaboration. “Guided by our city’s visionary leadership, Founders of Tomorrow strengthens Dubai’s position as a leading hub for entrepreneurship,” Almheiri stated. “We are actively shaping a practical pathway from education to enterprise, reinforcing sustained government support and nurturing a forward-thinking, resilient generation of Emirati entrepreneurs as part of a globally competitive SME landscape.”
Structured Mentorship and Scaling Support
Under the program structure, multidisciplinary teams of Emirati students and nascent university startups will tackle priority challenges across key economic sectors. INJAZ UAE is responsible for delivering structured, hands-on guidance, mentorship, and challenge-based learning, assisting students through the ideation, validation, and solution development stages.
Razan Bashiti, CEO of INJAZ UAE, emphasized the immediate economic impact. “Founders of Tomorrow embodies our commitment to turning Emirati youth potential into real economic impact. By connecting university innovation with live corporate and government challenges, the program creates a direct trajectory from education to scalable enterprise aligned with Dubai’s D33 economic ambitions.”
The most promising ideas will matriculate directly into the Dubai SME ecosystem, where they will receive comprehensive support necessary to scale into viable, competitive businesses. Qualifying participants gain access to a full suite of services, including business incubation, capacity-building, facilitation of funding opportunities, market access support, and enablement of government procurement opportunities.
Collaborating with Industry Leaders
The success of the inaugural cohort relies on contributions from several prestigious national entities that are providing real operational challenges and sector expertise. Initial partners include American Hospital Dubai, du, Dubai Air Navigation Services, Dubai Police, and Emirates Flight Catering. These collaborations ensure students interact directly with high-impact, national priority challenges.
The program was formally launched at Dubai Founders HQ, featuring an event where students engaged directly with participating organizations following a panel discussion dedicated to translating public-sector necessity into entrepreneurial opportunity.
Dubai SME’s Long-Term Vision
Founders of Tomorrow is a core component of Dubai SME’s broader, long-term mandate to facilitate the launch of 27,000 new Emirati businesses by 2033 and enable 8,000 existing SMEs to sustain and grow. By fostering a powerful culture of innovation, this initiative is set to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs to contribute significantly to Dubai’s diversified economy and enhance its global competitiveness. This strategic partnership between Dubai SME and INJAZ UAE represents the first phase in a long-term commitment to human capital development focused on economic diversification.