Abu Dhabi's Hub71 is forging new partnerships and initiatives focused on attracting students to tech start-ups, connecting entrepreneurs with mentors and recruiting top developers.
The tech start-up space is partnering with The United Arab Emirates University’s Science and Innovation Park (UAEU SIP) and INSEAD Middle East Campus to upskill talent in the emirate by introducing university students to start-ups working in digital innovation, Hub71 said in a statement on Sunday.
The academic partnerships will provide students and entrepreneurs with tools to develop digital skills and technological experiences in efforts to foster the next generation of entrepreneurs, Hanan Harhara Al Yafei, chief executive of Hub71, said.
"Many industries and organisations, both small and large, find it difficult to recruit digital talent who will ultimately drive Abu Dhabi’s tech transformation," Ms Al Yafei said. "With this in mind, we’re planting the seeds of the future by increasing the talent pool in Abu Dhabi for our start-ups while ensuring we nurture the right skills and develop the talented people needed to cement the longevity of Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem.”
Hub71, created with Dh520 million from Abu Dhabi’s Ghadan 21 stimulus programme, is attracting founders of successful start-ups and the people who support them. Hub71 has built the community with support from funding and strategic partnerships with Mubadala, SoftBank Vision Fund, Microsoft and Abu Dhabi Global Market.
Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as a technology hub, seeking to attract companies in sectors that are crucial to its growth such as agricultural technology, health care and renewable energy.
It is focused on projects that invest in innovative start-ups, develop strategic industries such as local manufacturing, attracting high-tech talent and creating new jobs.
Through the new academic partnerships, each institution will get access to Hub71's network of partners and mentors to support students and alumni. The partnerships will also include innovation workshops, joint programmes, events, hackathons and access to Hub71’s co-working space.
The collaboration will facilitate graduate recruitment and internship opportunities at Hub71 start-ups, with the aim of stimulating job creation and expanding Abu Dhabi’s talent pool.
Hub71 is also introducing a new mentorship programme to support its community of entrepreneurs.
Founders will be paired with mentors from start-ups, corporates, venture capitalists and others who have relevant experience to build connections and exchange knowledge.
Hub71 also partnered with talent search firm Yougig to offer its start-ups an exclusive online marketplace with easy access to more than one million tech developers worldwide at exclusive rates, it said.
Through software developers in Europe, North America, Middle East and Asia, Hub71 start-ups can secure a diverse range of remote and on-site developers and on demand, pay-by-the-hour services to boost their teams.
“As we continue to play a key role in transforming Abu Dhabi’s economy and bolstering innovation in various sectors, we realise that start-ups will be far better off with easier and reliable access to qualified tech talent, especially when sustaining their growing businesses,” Ms Al Yafei said.
On February 10, Hub71 will also host the third edition of the Abu Dhabi Decoded series in a hybrid format.
The session titled ‘Your Community Awaits’ will focus on the key role education, academic research and community developers play in sustaining innovation and creating a tech cluster rooted in top talent. It will also showcase the benefits for entrepreneurs living, working, and scaling businesses in Abu Dhabi.
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
Company profile
Name: The Concept
Founders: Yadhushan Mahendran, Maria Sobh and Muhammad Rijal
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 7
Sector: Aviation and space industry
Funding: $250,000
Future plans: Looking to raise $1 million investment to boost expansion and develop new products
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
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