A new partnership between Google Cloud and Dubai AI Campus is set to enhance the growth of AI startups by leveraging Google’s advanced technology, mentorship programs, and AI resources, reinforcing Dubai’s status as a major hub for tech innovation and entrepreneurship.
Google Cloud and Dubai AI Campus, the dedicated cluster of AI companies at DIFC Hub, have announced a collaboration agreement to foster the growth of the startup ecosystem within the Dubai AI Campus. The collaboration seeks to leverage Google Cloud’s expertise and resources to empower regional startups and accelerate their expansion.
The Dubai AI Campus includes R&D facilities, accelerator programmes, and collaborative workspaces to attract, build and scale regional startups. Under this collaboration, Google Cloud intends to offer mentorship opportunities for selected startups within the Dubai AI Campus and work with the Campus on programs such as Google Cloud’s Gen AI Startup School.
The Google for Startups Cloud Program also intends to give early-stage startups in the Dubai AI Campus ecosystem access to numerous Google resources designed for startup founders, including its latest innovations in AI, to help unlock Google Cloud’s potential.
Mohammad Alblooshi, Chief Executive Officer of the DIFC Innovation Hub, said: “We are pleased to join forces with Google Cloud to create an optimal ecosystem equipped with resources to enable startups to drive innovation in AI. This partnership is a strategic step in harnessing the potential of emerging technologies. We are confident this collaborative agreement will strengthen the Dubai AI Campus as a favourable destination for startups worldwide to scale their AI capabilities. Furthermore, it will solidify Dubai’s position as a hub for technology-focused companies and attract more world-class talent and diversified investors to the region.”
Google Cloud offers a robust, fully integrated, and optimised AI stack with its own planet-scale infrastructure, custom-built chips, generative AI models and development platform, and AI-powered applications to help organisations transform. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted technology partner.
Ziad Jammal, Country Manager for Google Cloud in the UAE, said, “We are thrilled to be working with Dubai AI Campus to empower the vibrant startup ecosystem in Dubai. This is another step towards supporting Dubai’s forward-looking economic agenda D33, which aims to make Dubai the fastest, safest, and most connected city in the world.”
Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is one of the world’s most advanced financial centres, and the leading financial hub for the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA), which comprises 77 countries with an approximate population of 3.7bn and an estimated GDP of USD 10.5trn.
Ziad added, “Today, half of all funded generative AI startups are Google Cloud customers, including 70 per cent of generative AI ‘unicorns’. Google Cloud can provide the infrastructure that startups need through our combination of security, scalability, and AI services. This collaboration reaffirms our deep commitment to nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.”
“By providing startups with access to Google Cloud’s cutting-edge technology, mentorship, and resources, we aim to accelerate their growth and enable them to make a lasting impact on the global stage. We believe that AI can transform industries and solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges, and we’re excited to work with Dubai AI Campus to unlock that potential in Dubai.”
DIFC is home to an internationally recognised, independent regulator and a proven judicial system with an English common law framework. It also has the region’s largest financial ecosystem, with 43,800 professionals working across over 6,150 active registered companies—making up the largest and most diverse pool of industry talent in the region.
The Centre’s vision is to drive the future of finance through cutting-edge technology, innovation, and partnerships. Today, it is the global future of finance and innovation hub, offering one of the region’s most comprehensive FinTech and venture capital environments, including cost-effective licensing solutions, fit-for-purpose regulation, innovative accelerator programmes, and funding for growth-stage start-ups.
