Doers Summit Dubai

Doers Summit Dubai returns for its second edition on 25 and 26 November. Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) hosts the event under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority. Founders, investors and corporates from Europe, the GCC, Asia and Africa gather around the theme "Where Doers and Investors Build What's Next". According to the organisers, the first edition in 2025 drew more than 4,000 attendees from 115 countries.

H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, gives the opening keynote on 25 November. Day one centres on fundraising. Antler co-founder Fridtjof Berge shares lessons from backing 2,000 startups. Issa Aghabi looks at where Western venture meets Gulf capital. In a reverse pitch, investors make their case to founders. Panels tackle financing beyond venture and the raise-or-starve debate.

Day two turns to scaling and market entry. Sessions cover lessons from hypergrowth AI companies, deeptech commercialisation and making the GCC a growth market. A panel asks whether founders should build in Riyadh or Dubai, or sell into the region from home. Chaouki Kasmi of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) speaks on the new space economy. Former Indian minister Suresh Prabhu joins the closing panel on geopolitics.

The summit also runs a selective programme for VC-backed startups and scaleups looking for customers, corporate partners and investors. Selected companies join free of charge and get curated investor meetings, workshops, side events and, for some, a slot on the Doers Pitch stage. Investors named by the organisers include 500 Global, AfricInvest, Eurazeo, Global Ventures, M42, Plug & Play Ventures, Shorooq Partners, Speedinvest and TII.

The Doers Gateway Program is built for companies entering the UAE and GCC. Up to 10 participants win travel credits for future trips to Dubai, access to the DSO and Dtec ecosystem, soft-landing and market-entry support, and warm introductions to customers and partners. Applications close on 31 October.

Apply for the startup programme | Tickets