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The Emirates Intelligencer

An Independent Daily Bulletin on Artificial-Intelligence Investment, Adoption and Deployment. Published by otonomi.co

Vol. I., No. 40 Sunday, August 9, 2026 From the Archive
Startup Capital

Abu Dhabi Startup Ecosystem Value Rises to $73.4 Billion

The new global ranking gives Abu Dhabi a capital-scale benchmark for its founder, investor and technology-company attraction strategy.

By The Otonomi Investment Desk

Abu Dhabi has entered the world's top 50 emerging startup ecosystems after its ecosystem value rose 3,057 percent to $73.4 billion, WAM reported, citing the 2026 Global Startup Ecosystem Report by Startup Genome and the Global Entrepreneurship Network. The emirate ranked between number 41 and number 50 globally, up from the number 51 to number 60 band.

The ranking reinforces Abu Dhabi's use of government-linked ecosystem platforms, specialist technology infrastructure and investor access to draw high-growth companies into the emirate. For enterprise AI vendors and advisers, the figure points to a larger addressable base of funded startups, scale-ups and corporate partners operating from Abu Dhabi.

WAM Read original source

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Venture Ecosystem

Hub71 Startups Pass $2.7 Billion Funding Mark

Hub71 said startups in its Abu Dhabi community had raised more than $2.7 billion, or AED 9.9 billion, in funding and generated $1.5 billion, or AED 5.4 billion, in revenue by the end of 2025. The figures were published in Hub71's 2025 Impact Report and included $599 million, or AED 2.2 billion, in funding secured during 2025.

The ecosystem has grown to 390 startups since 2019, including 295 companies supported through Hub71 programmes. Hub71 said founder applications rose 62 percent in 2025 to more than 5,000, while its startups signed corporate deals worth $244 million from 2022 to 2025, including $37 million in 2025.

Hub71 Read original source
AI Infrastructure

Core42 Secures $550 Million HSBC Facilities for AI Cloud Expansion

Core42, the UAE-headquartered G42 company specialising in sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure, arranged $550 million in structured trade finance facilities with HSBC to accelerate AI cloud and compute deployments across the United States and Europe. The facilities comprise $240 million and $310 million, according to Core42.

Core42 said the financing strengthens its capital base as it scales cloud and compute deployments. The company described itself as an AI infrastructure operator serving enterprise, government and hyperscale customers, making the facilities a direct expansion signal for sovereign and enterprise compute capacity.

Core42 Read original source
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Further Dispatches
Listed Capital

Alpha Dhabi Says AI Helped Drive First-Half Profit Surge

Alpha Dhabi Holding reported net profit of AED 9.8 billion, or $2.7 billion, for the first half of 2026, up 48 percent year on year, while group revenue rose 5 percent to AED 37.6 billion. The Abu Dhabi-listed company said key growth sectors including artificial intelligence, digital banking, hospitality and advanced infrastructure continued to drive its expansion.

The company said adjusted EBITDA increased 7 percent to AED 9.3 billion and total assets reached AED 230 billion by the end of the first half, compared with AED 214 billion at the end of 2025. The results place AI within the investment mix of one of Abu Dhabi's largest listed holding companies.

Alpha Dhabi Read original source
Talent Pipeline

UAE Opens Eighth AI Camp With Global Technology Partners

The National Programme for Artificial Intelligence, in collaboration with the National Programme for Coders, launched the eighth edition of UAE AI Camp, WAM reported. The programme is part of the UAE Government's effort to promote AI adoption and expand the pool of national talent able to work with AI technologies.

Workshops and activities are being held with the Transport Authority of the Government of Ajman and partners including Maharat Min Google, Microsoft, Brainy n Bright, Accenture, Think Media Labs, Intel, BytePlus, Spectrum and Modesh World. The AI Office's camp page describes the 2026 edition as running from 17 to 29 August, with more than 50 partners, more than 130 topics and more than 36,000 participants.

WAM Read original source
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