“I want Dubai to be a place where everybody from all over the world meets each other.” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai.
It was not too long ago that Dubai was seen primarily as a travel destination appealing to Europeans for a spot of winter sun, given the relatively short flying time of a few hours and some shopping coupled with visits to the Burj Khalifa and Palm Jumeirah.
Make no mistake, tourism remains a huge draw, particularly for the British with 1.32 million visiting Dubai last year. This marked a 14 per cent increase from 2023, according to the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
Whilst tourism continues to boom, looking beyond the lavish hotels, extravagant theme parks, gigantic shopping malls and glitzy restaurants are the skyscrapers that are popping up like daisies in the sand at a phenomenal rate. Dominating the skyline on the horizon, more and more of those buildings are housing not new hotels but pristine offices for the next British wave of arrivals, and these are not the tourists, but the techies. And they are here to stay.
And for UK entrepreneurs, the main draw is not just the perceived lifestyle, global networking hub, tax advantages (the UAE has no personal income tax and corporate tax rate of just 9 per cent) nor the fact that some parts of Dubai operate under the principles of UK common law.
It’s the opportunity.
Serial British entrepreneur David Soffer is one such techie who is grabbing “the huge opportunity and gap in the market” with two hands, but with two businesses. The 32 year old Londoner has just opened offices in Dubai for two separate entities.
TechRound, the UK’s fastest-growing startup technology publication, just last week announced the launch of its new office in Dubai.
“We’ve expanded to better engage with companies, businesses, brands and stakeholders powering one of the world’s most exciting tech and startup economies,” said Soffer who will now visit the region once every quarter to maximise the business and networking opportunities.
“Through our expansion to the UAE, TechRound aims to continue shining a light on the country’s growing entrepreneurial scene, whilst acting as a bridge between the UK, Europe and the UAE for startups, scale-ups, tech companies and entrepreneurs,” added Soffer, who founded the publication in 2016.
TechRound has since become one of the UK’s top digital and most read news site for tech startups, and entrepreneurs. One of TechRound’s latest competitions, The Dubai32, showcased just how much companies in the region wanted to access audiences across the UK and Europe, with the competition garnering hundreds of entries and many thousands of additional readers.
The UAE is quickly becoming one of the world’s most exciting startup economies, investing heavily in areas including Artificial Intelligence and fintech. This makes it an obvious choice for TechRound’s expansion, as it looks to become the voice and guiding light for startups now across the MENA region. As part of the move, TechRound will be covering more UAE-based startups, profiling local founders and businesses, running regional competitions and events and spotlighting the companies, VCs and entrepreneurs behind them, whilst engaging with local stakeholders, government departments and all interested parties in the UAE.
“The UAE is one of the most exciting startup economies in the world. From Dubai to Abu Dhabi, we are constantly seeing just how many new companies are being born out of this magnificent country. Through our office and physical presence in the UAE, we want to bring the same support we’ve shown UK startups to the Middle East, and we believe that Dubai is the best place for us to do that.”
Yet for Soffer, TechRound is only part of the equation as he strives to grow his business empire in the sun.
His other business is a thriving SEO consultancy business, DSR Digital where Soffer and his team of experts plan strategic campaigns around digital reputation building – an absolute priority for any business anywhere in the world.
David Soffer comments: “Through our experience and SEO knowhow acquired over the last decade, we can take this support to the next level, supporting and helping startups grow, getting them found online through our SEO capabilities, both on search engines and uniquely, the likes of ChatGPT. Having a good reputation is more important than ever for startups and entrepreneurs.”
And reputation is everything in Dubai, as any Emirati will testify. For Soffer whose DSR clients have included blue chip companies such as Savills, Charles Worthington, Top Golf, Bonline and Business Traveller, his company’s reputation has preceded him even before setting up shop.
Soffer has had several meetings with the DET and they have given him their full support and invaluable advice.
“We’ve been so impressed with the incredible visionary leadership in the UAE. The meetings with the DET have been amazing. They have been so welcoming and have constantly impressed upon me that TechRound and DSR Digital are two businesses that the region is crying out for. With an invitation like this one simply cannot pass it up. It would feel like a missed opportunity not to have a presence here..”
Another UK entrepreneur that has just returned from a business trip in Dubai after attending Token2049 with a client is Giselle Elsom, managing director of the full service social media agency, Truffle Social, which operates across a host of sectors, including Property, Travel & Hospitality, Finance, The Arts, Beauty, Retail and of course, Technology. Truffle works with global brands and companies including Marriott, Coca-Cola, Rolls Royce, Nars Cosmetics, Fidelity Investments and The Accor Group.
Truffle has an all-female team and women’s empowerment within business is a passion of both Giselle’s and the company founder and CEO, Ellie Byrne, who have taken part in a number of community groups where innovation for women in business is a core proposition.
Elsom is now overseeing the expansion of Truffle’s reach into key markets, such as Dubai: “Having more of a presence in Dubai is the next logical step to strengthen our reputation as a leading independently owned social media agency. Dubai has a strong sense of support for businesses. After just a week of meeting new clients and exploring potential opportunities, I could really feel its energy and drive to encourage entrepreneurs to succeed. It is infectious. Everyone I spoke to either had another contact to introduce us to or invited us to a networking event. It feels incredibly welcoming to UK businesses, which left me genuinely excited to return and fully commit to growing our influence in the region,” enthused Elsom.
Gina Clarke, who has written for Time Magazine and Forbes and overseen Fintech Abu Dhabi and Blockchain Abu Dhabi as content director, knows the region better than most when it comes to tech and specifically fintech and how British SMEs can flourish.
“British tech companies are increasingly looking beyond traditional markets and the UAE is fast becoming a serious option, especially for those in innovation-led sectors. Abu Dhabi’s ADGM stands out as a place that not only offers the benefits of a global financial centre, but also understands what startups and scaleups actually need to grow. Together with DIFC in Dubai the two hubs provide regulatory clarity, zero-tax benefits and the pace at which decisions are made that make it especially attractive,” said Clarke.
“The wider MENA region is moving quickly. What used to be considered a secondary market is now leading the way in areas like fintech, AI, and blockchain. There’s a strong push from governments to not just adopt new technologies, but to build the infrastructure and ecosystems that support them. Abu Dhabi’s MGX $50 billion digital transformation commitment is a prime example of that, but there’s also serious momentum in places like Saudi Arabia and Oman where national strategies are being built around future industries.
“For British companies used to dealing with slower-moving markets, the speed and openness here can be a real advantage. Not only does the time zone work well for companies operating across Europe and Asia, but it makes remote work and global collaboration feel more natural. On top of that, the talent pool is growing fast. You’ve got highly skilled professionals moving into the region, international universities setting up campuses and a clear ambition to be known as a global tech hub.
“All of this creates a unique moment. The Middle East isn’t just a place to expand into anymore. For a lot of companies, it’s becoming a place to build from, where ideas can move quickly, funding is available and the appetite for innovation is very real,” added Clarke.
Soffer profoundly agrees with Clarke’s sentiments.
“In my opinion this is the best market in the world for tech businesses. Maybe once it was seen as only affordable for the huge multinational companies and high net worth individuals, it is now full of some of the most exciting start ups and smart entrepreneurs on the planet. The market might be nascent now, but like everything in Dubai, it grows super fast.
“It’s really exciting to be helping startups and businesses here and we can’t wait to help build digital footprints in the warm Middle Eastern sand.”
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