STAY CONNECTED
08:15 – 09:00
Registration & Networking
09:00 – 09:15
Welcome by Master of Ceremony
MODERATOR
09:15 – 09:30
Opening Remarks: A Strategic Business Alliance: Advancing Mutual Growth
SPEAKERS
09:30 – 09:40
Welcome Address
SPEAKERS
09:40 – 09:55
Setting the Scene: Trade and Investment Trends Between Germany and the UAE
In this TED-style talk, we explore the evolving trade and investment landscape between Germany and the UAE. Uncover the key sectors driving bilateral growth and how businesses are planning on leveraging these emerging opportunities. With both nations committed to innovation, market trends point towards AI-driven industries, smart infrastructure, and resilient supply chains as the next frontier of economic partnership, but what does the latest data actually show and what are the opinions of executives that drive direct investment. Gain insights into the challenges, strategies, and possible solutions that will define the future of German-UAE trade relations and discover how shifting economic priorities are shaping new opportunities for collaboration.
SPEAKERS
09:55 – 10:20
Dubai & Germany – Future of Investment & Unlocking Bilateral Opportunities
In 2023, Dubai launched a new strategy designed to position Dubai among the world’s top three global economic hubs by 2033. With a targeted economic output of $8.7 trillion, this transformative vision is shaping the future of trade, investment, and economic expansion. In this dynamic session, we will explore how German and European businesses, investors, and entrepreneurs can leverage Dubai as a strategic trading and investment hub for regional and global expansion.
Our experts will examine how Dubai’s progressive regulatory framework, tax advantages, and investment-driven incentives are fostering cross-border transactions and business growth between the UAE and Europe. Explore the rise of M&A activities and private investments, where strategic partnerships are driving expansion in key sectors. For High-Net-Worth Individuals and MNCs, the landscape has never been more promising, offering unparalleled access to new wealth management solutions, residency benefits, and investment-driven opportunities. Join our expert panel as they discuss the game – changing trends shaping the future of UAE-German business collaboration.
SPEAKERS
MODERATOR
10:20 – 10:40
Networking Break
10:40 – 11:05
Venture Capital & Scaleups – Accelerating European Innovation in Dubai
Dubai is on a mission to incubate 30 unicorns in the next decade, but how is the city turning bold ambition into reality and what are the opportunities for German and European key players?
This deep dive session explores how Dubai is rapidly evolving into a global startup powerhouse, attracting world-class founders, investors, and disruptors. With government-backed incentives, funding programmes, and the regulatory sandbox approach, Dubai is creating the ideal launchpad for innovation. From fintech to healthtech, AI to sustainability, learn which sectors hold the greatest promise for VC investment.
Hear from our speakers as they evaluate Dubai’s plans to scale ideas into billion-dollar businesses and learn how global entrepreneurs are tapping into the region’s dynamic ecosystem, leveraging strategic advantages, and securing funding to accelerate growth.
SPEAKERS
MODERATOR
11:05 – 11:40
Bridging Markets: Dubai as the Gateway for German Industrial Growth
Germany’s reputation for engineering, precision manufacturing, and industrial innovation is globally recognised. Now, with Dubai’s D33 Strategy, new opportunities for German and European investment are available, that prioritises growth, innovation, and sustainability.
This deep dive session explores how Dubai is becoming the ideal regional hub for German automotive, logistics, and manufacturing giants, as well as Mittelstand companies seeking global expansion.
With world-class logistics, infrastructure, and supply chain advantages, Dubai offers a seamless gateway for German exporters to emerging markets across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Dubai’s long-term net-zero strategy opens opportunities in green hydrogen, solar energy, and sustainability-focused projects. How can German investors and industrial leaders participate in this transformation? Join our experts as they discuss the next big industrial and green energy opportunities in Dubai.
SPEAKERS
MODERATOR
11:40 – 12:05
Dubai x Germany: Pioneering the Future of Tech & Investment
Dubai is working hard to help foster the future of technology and rapidly emerging as a global hub for AI, Web3, and digital assets. But what does this mean for investors, startups, and innovators, especially from Germany’s deep-tech and fintech ecosystems?
In this expert dialogue, we explore government-backed R&D funding, paving the way for German deep-tech startups in biotech, life sciences, and AI to scale in Dubai’s thriving ecosystem. Fintech, healthtech, and smart mobility are at the forefront of investment opportunities, with Dubai providing a robust framework for IP protection and innovation-driven growth.
Join us as we break down how Dubai is attracting global founders, accelerating next-gen technology, and creating unparalleled opportunities for investors in the digital economy.
SPEAKERS
MODERATOR
12:05 – 12:40
The Future of Trade & Global Expansion
For businesses looking beyond borders, Dubai is at the heart of the world’s most critical trade routes, bridging Asia, Europe, and Africa with unmatched connectivity and ambition. But under the D33 Strategy, its role is evolving—positioning Dubai as a global leader in digital trade, investment, and market expansion.
In this panel discussion with top economists and corporate executives with deep FDI experience, they will explore why key sectors are driving FDI, from real estate and tourism to e-commerce and financial markets. With Dubai’s financial market reforms and capital market incentives, global businesses and investors have access to capital and high-growth opportunities. As the experience economy and digital trade reshape global commerce, how can businesses leverage Dubai’s strategic position to scale internationally and who will gain the greatest advantage?
SPEAKERS
MODERATOR
12:40 – 13:00
MC’s Plenary Closing & Key Takeaways
13:00 – 14:20
Networking Lunch followed by Pre-Arranged Bilateral Meetings and Enabling Growth Briefings
In the afternoon of the Dubai Business Forum, we are also pleased to announce that we will be providing “Enabling Growth” sessions which will offer a comprehensive overview of Dubai’s investor-friendly landscape, providing a deep dive into the sector-specific free zones that make Dubai a globally competitive hub for investment.
These sessions will showcase the wide range of incentives and initiatives available to businesses, with a particular focus on how you can leverage these advantages to fuel expansion and achieve sustainable growth in Dubai and across the region.
We will also have a dedicated session led by Dubai Chambers, presenting our strategic initiatives which support expanding your business into Dubai and international markets. Delegates can also utilize our custom-made business meeting space, the “Connect Hub” as a prime opportunity to build strategic connections and explore collaborative ventures.
Enabling Growth Briefing Room 1
14:20 – 14:50
Enabling Growth: Dubai Chambers Global Markets
Learn about Dubai Chambers’ strategic initiative launched to support its members in expanding their business into international markets. The Global Markets team facilitates business matchmaking and partnerships, helping companies build relationships with key stakeholders, exponentially unlocking growth potential.
SPEAKERS
14:50 – 15:00
Networking Break
15:00 – 15:40
Enabling Growth: DIEZ (Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority)
Discover the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) – a key driver in strengthening Dubai’s position as a leading global business hub. DIEZ brings together a world-class ecosystem and an expansive international network across three renowned economic zones: Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZ), Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), and Dubai CommerCity (DCC).
By attracting significant foreign direct investment from across the globe, DIEZ along with its robust supporting platforms – offers a comprehensive ‘work, live, play’ proposition, empowering international investors, and businesses to flourish in the region and beyond.
In this session, you’ll find out all about:
- Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZ)
- Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO)
- Dubai CommerCity (DCC)
- Oraseya Capital
SPEAKERS
Enabling Growth Briefing Room 2
14:20 – 14:50
Enabling Growth: Expo City Dubai
The transformed site of Expo 2020 Dubai has been repurposed into a vibrant, sustainable, and future-oriented community, home to innovative companies envisioning and bringing the future to life. Join leaders to explore how this free zone can catapult your company’s growth in a cultivating environment.
SPEAKERS
14:50 – 15:00
Networking Break
15:00 – 15:30
Enabling Growth: TECOM Group
This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of TECOM Group and its role in strengthening Dubai’s economy. We will explore why Dubai is an attractive business destination for European companies from six vital economic sectors, highlighting successful examples of German and European enterprises within the TECOM Group’s ecosystem of more than 11,900 customers across its 10 business districts.
SPEAKERS
15:30 – 15:40
Networking Break
15.40 – 16.00
Enabling Growth: Dubai Healthcare City Authority
An opportunity to hear about Dubai Healthcare City Authority’s (DHCA) role in advancing Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) as Dubai’s enabling healthcare and wellness free zone. Explore why DHCC – home to over 100 regional headquarters of global names and around 190 clinical facilities, including 10 hospitals – offers a compelling opportunity for investors seeking access to a dynamic, sector-focus ecosystem.
DHCC operates at the intersection of healthcare, wellness, community living and regulation. It facilitates business set-up across medical care, wellness, academic, research, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and support services. By joining DHCC’s ecosystem, investors become part of a community that enables business growth and benefits from purpose-built infrastructure designed to support innovation and expansion.
SPEAKERS
Enabling Growth Briefing Room 3
14:20 – 14:50
Testing Tomorrow, Today: Sandbox Dubai as a Platform for Regulatory Innovation
This session will provide an overview of Sandbox Dubai, a new initiative of the Dubai Future Foundation. Sandbox Dubai has recently been established as a central platform for granting temporary regulatory exemptions for companies wanting to test their innovations in market, working in close partnership with regulators in Dubai and across the UAE.
SPEAKERS
14:50 – 15:00
Networking Break
15.00 – 15.30
Enabling Growth: JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone)
JAFZA – The Manufacturing Hub for the Middle East, India, and Africa. Explore how German companies can expand their exports by leveraging JAFZA’s infrastructure, connectivity, and business-friendly environment. Learn how the UAE’s strategic location, Free Trade Agreements, and pro-business policies can help you grow your market presence across one of the fastest-growing regions in the world.
SPEAKERS
16:00
Event Close
8:00 - 9:00
Registration and Networking
9:00 - 9:05
Welcome by Master of Ceremony
9:05 - 9:20
Scaling Global Opportunity: The USA–Dubai Strategic Partnership
Keynote Remarks
Dubai attracted $14.2 billion in foreign direct investment in 2024, ranking it among the world’s top destinations for new projects. For U.S. companies, the city’s mix of zero personal income tax, 200+ global flight connections and booming sectors from fintech to clean energy offers a springboard into the Middle East, Africa and Asia. American firms are growing in strategic importance and are already among the top investors in the digital and technology sector in Dubai. With the city operating as an increasingly vital hub for innovation and capital, how can U.S. businesses partner with Dubai to seize the moment and scale opportunity?
SPEAKERS
9:20 - 9:30
Welcome Address
9:30 - 9:45
Setting the Scene: Navigating the Future of U.S.-Dubai Trade and Investment
TED-Style Presentation
As global trade realigns, the U.S. and Dubai are redefining their relationship with over $32 billion in bilateral trade in 2024 estimated by the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Explore the data, deals and trends from AI to supply chain realignment shaping their economic future. Dive into key growth sectors including fintech, clean energy, health tech and digital infrastructure and tackle critical questions. Where is capital flowing now, what are the operational and regulatory bottlenecks and what winning strategies are leaders using for success?
9:45 - 10:10
Semafor Editorial Session
Session details to be announced shortly
10:10 - 10:25
How Is Dubai Opening New Pathways for U.S. and Global Business?
Dubai’s model for international business is rooted in governance, partnership and performance. As the UAE and U.S. deepen ties across investment, technology and trade, two of Dubai’s key economic leaders outline real opportunities for U.S. business and the strategic vision driving them. The pathways for business success are well established and according to Dubai Chambers over 3,500 American companies are registered in Dubai, many with a strategic hub in the city. How is Dubai empowering businesses to succeed through targeted support, streamlined access and bold initiatives like the D33 Economic Agenda?
10:25 - 10:45
The New Geography of Opportunity: Allocating Capital in the Digital Era
Expert Dialogue or Fireside Chat
Amid a shifting geopolitical landscape, the global map of capital is being redrawn, and Dubai has become a critical global financial hub. Investors seek to capitalize on the AI revolution, an industry projected to contribute up to $320 billion to the Middle East economy by 2030 according to PwC. Leaders from influential investment firms and tech companies uncover the mechanisms that are reducing uncertainty and risk and attracting global capital, from AI-native regulation to data-driven infrastructure. How are they using these new tools and technology to redefine the next frontier of asset management and investment?
10:45 - 11:15
Open for Business: Dubai as a Launchpad for Global Expansion
Panel Discussion
Dubai’s open economy and business-friendly environment have made it a prime launchpad for U.S. companies eyeing global expansion, and according to the DIFC over 70% of Fortune 500 companies have their regional headquarters in Dubai. American firms in key sectors including technology, education, healthcare and finance are already established in or are targeting a Dubai location. How can Dubai act as a regional and global hub for American companies looking to tap into high-growth markets in Africa, Asia and the Middle East? Experts will explore the opportunities and hurdles ahead for U.S. companies as they scale internationally.
11:15 - 11:35
Wall Street to the Gulf: Why U.S. Investors are Banking on Dubai
Expert Dialogue
In a shifting global economy, Dubai and the Middle East is fast emerging as a dynamic investment hub. Investor appetite in the region is increasing, driven by a hunt for yield, the region's growing economy and its active sovereign wealth funds, we speak to leading US investors, betting on Dubai and discuss what drives their investment decisions.
11:35 - 12:00
Semafor Editorial Session
Session details to be announced shortly
12:00 - 13:30
Networking Lunch
13:30 - 14:00
The Acceleration Engine: How Innovation Infrastructure Powers Global Scale
Expert Dialogue or Panel Discussion
Scaling a tech company requires vast amounts of computing power, energy and world-class digital infrastructure. Despite these obstacles, the UAE plans for the digital economy to contribute over 20% of its non-oil GDP by 2031, and Dubai is investing billions in hyperscale data centers and AI-ready cloud platforms. Top leaders of the companies building and leveraging this technology share what they are doing to reduce risks and accelerate global expansion.
14:00 - 14:20
The Talent Multiplier - Winning Over the Global Workforce
Expert Dialogue
Capital is global, and now, so is talent. Dubai has become a magnet for the world's best and brightest minds with its progressive visas and hyper-connected infrastructure. According to INSEAD, Dubai holds the top spot globally for attracting talent. Discover how U.S. companies can leverage Dubai as a strategic hub to attract, retain, and manage a diverse, world-class workforce for the new globally connected world of work.
14:20 - 14:50
Accelerating Ambition: Startups, Incubators and Dubai’s Next Tech Frontier
Panel Discussion
Dubai today ranks third in global VC ecosystem growth. With that investment, the city is making an ambitious push into the startup space, aiming to become a global hub for breakthroughs not just in AI but in fintech, quantum computing and robotics. Backed by seed funding, accelerators and institutional capital, the city is working to build not just companies, but a lasting culture of scientific innovation. How is Dubai attracting the world’s top founders and competing with established tech powerhouses?
14:50 - 15:20
The Dubai Model: How Free Zones Fuel Innovation and Expansion
Dubai has rapidly evolved into one of the world’s most dynamic business hubs, blending bold infrastructure investments with forward-looking regulatory frameworks. Free zones, now operating as innovation districts, sit at the heart of this model—providing sector-specific governance, digital licensing, and global networks alongside the city’s broader strengths in connectivity and talent. From fintech and AI to green energy and logistics, Dubai is positioning itself as a laboratory for the industries of the future. How can this integrated ecosystem, with free zones as a key pillar, help founders and multinationals launch and rapidly scale?
15:20 - 15:45
Afternoon Networking Break
15:45 - 16:15
Dubai’s Fintech Footprint: Shaping the Future of Global Finance
Expert Dialogue or Panel Discussion
Dubai has quickly become a fintech hotspot, fueled by strategic policies like the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) and the “We the UAE 31” initiative. This year alone fintech investments have surged by 35% according to the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). What are the policies that make Dubai a leading fintech destination and why are companies flocking there? Leaders discuss Dubai as a magnet for fintech founders and investors and explore the key factors driving its ascent on the global stage.
16:15 - 16:45
Dubai’s Crypto Moment: Building a Global Hub
Panel Discussion
Dubai’s recent moves into the world of cryptocurrency have been nothing short of monumental. From a $9B investment into a blockchain-focused financial hub in the Maldives to sweeping regulatory and infrastructure initiatives at home, the Emirates’ influence in the crypto industry grows by the day. What role will Dubai play in the future of the global cryptocurrency industry? What do entrepreneurs, investors, and businesses across the world need to know to plan ahead?
16:45 - 17:10
Semafor Editorial Session
Session details to be announced shortly
17:10 - 17:15
Closing Remarks
17:15 - 18:30
Networking Reception
14:00 – 15:30
Enabling Growth Series (Strictly by Invitation Only)
(Series runs concurrent to the afternoon plenary program)
Two intimate roundtables will introduce key stakeholders of Dubai’s economic ecosystem to U.S. business innovators to foster strategic dialogue, deepen partnerships and unlock new pathways for trade and investment between the United States and Dubai.
14:00 - 14:40
Dubai USA Business Dialogue
This exclusive session will convene CEOs and senior representatives from leading U.S. chambers of commerce and other relevant entities, alongside the leadership of Dubai Chambers. The roundtable will explore future areas of collaboration to support our respective members in accessing new growth opportunities across priority sectors outlined in Dubai’s D33 economic agenda. The discussion will focus on building cross-market connectivity, trade facilitation, and sharing best practices.
14:50 - 15:30
Family Business and Investors Roundtable
This high-level roundtable brings together leading family business principals and top investors from the U.S. and Dubai to exchange strategies on intergenerational wealth, cross-border growth, and emerging investment opportunities. The discussion will spotlight capital flows into priority D33 sectors – including technology, healthcare, sustainability, and logistics – while exploring the role of family enterprises in driving long-term economic resilience. Designed to spark collaboration, co-investment, and peer learning across two influential networks.
