Opportunities Driving Mutual Growth

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?

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?

Private capital firms have more than $4 trillion of dry powder — how will they invest it? Michael Koester, co-founder of 5C Investment Partners, will discuss the rise of alternative financing, the challenges brought by a slowdown in realizations, and the role it can play in building and diversifying economies in the Gulf and beyond.

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?

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.

Dubai has become an innovative proving ground for U.S. companies with global ambitions, where capital, talent, and policy converge to enable expansion into fast-growing markets across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. With more than 70% of Fortune 500 firms anchoring their regional headquarters in the city, Dubai now serves as both a safe haven and a springboard for international growth.
 
In this conversation, leading investors and strategists will explore how American firms can navigate the opportunities and potential hurdles of building beyond traditional markets, and what Dubai’s rise reveals about the new guideposts of global business.

 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 in the growing economy and active sovereign wealth funds. Leading U.S. investors who are betting on Dubai discuss what drives their investment decisions. 

Session details to be announced shortly

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?

Dubai’s fast-paced lifestyle, dense urban geography, and world-class digital infrastructure have created the perfect conditions for Q-commerce to thrive. As ultra-fast delivery platforms reshape how consumers shop for essentials, the model is emerging as a bellwether for innovation in logistics, retail, and tech-enabled urban living. This conversation will explore what is fueling the boom, the competitive pressures driving new efficiencies, and what Dubai’s rapid adoption can teach global markets about the next frontier in digital commerce.

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.  

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?

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?

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?

Session details to be announced shortly

Three closed-door 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.

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.

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.

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.