- The Entrepreneurship Caravan will make seven stops across the Emirates.
- We will be launching the National List of Emirati Projects Awarded the ‘Done by Youth’ Label.
- More than 25 specialised events will be held to support the youth’s entrepreneurial aspirations.
- We will be organising the Young Entrepreneurs Forum, the largest gathering for young Emirati entrepreneurs.
Dubai, UAE - 6 October 2025 – As part of the nationwide ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World’campaign, the Federal Youth Authority (FYA) announced the launch of a series of specialised youth activities and events under the theme ‘Youth Shaping Tomorrow’s Economy’.
The initiative aims to empower Emirati youth to pursue the entrepreneurship route; it creates greater opportunities for them, encourages them to embrace innovation as a sustainable career choice, and ensures they have full access to practical resources and tools that will enable them to establish impactful projects, thus enhancing their active participation in building a competitive national economy.
The Authority made the announcement in a press conference at the Creators HQ in Dubai, attended by His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and FYA Director H.E. Khalid Al Nuaimi, along with a number of officials, decision makers, and young entrepreneurs from across the Emirates.
The Right Investment
During the press conference, H.E. Al Neyadi said: “This ambitious campaign reflects our wise leadership’s aspirations to empower Emirati youth and provide them with the necessary tools and opportunities to shape a future economy rooted in innovation and sustainability. The UAE believes that the right investment begins with its people, and youth are at the core of this deep-seated national approach to development. They are the engine of economic transformation and the key players in bolstering the UAE’s standing as a top global destination for entrepreneurs across various future economic sectors.”
“‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World’ campaign is a key strategic step, offering a global platform for entrepreneurship and a nurturing environment for talent,” H.E. Al Neyadi continued. “It presents an interactive national model for constructive cooperation among institutions in the government and private sectors, integrating efforts and channelling strengths towards a set of shared goals: from enhancing the youth’s role as a fundamental pillar in the new economy, to organising their contributions within five economic clusters that align with the national development trajectory, and ultimately achieving the UAE’s aspirations for entrepreneurship and sustainable economic innovation.”
Culture of Innovation
For his part, H.E. Khalid Al Nuaimi said: “The Federal Youth Authority’s participation in the ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World’ campaign forms part of our commitment to supporting youth throughout their entrepreneurial journey. The Authority plays a pivotal role in that regard, implementing programmes and organising events that focus on building the youth’s capabilities and preparing them to engage in the economic system with optimal efficiency. This, in turn, empowers them to develop their skills and confidently face practical challenges, all within a dynamic and sustainable economic environment.”
“The Authority’s efforts focus on providing training pathways that support youth in developing their ideas, transforming them into scalable projects, and building networks of relationships that support their aspirations,” he explained. “To that end, we work directly with young people to equip them with the necessary tools to enter the market, understand business mechanisms, and make informed decisions based on knowledge and real-world experience. We also strive to instil a culture of innovation as a key driver for building projects capable of creating tangible economic and social impact.”
Activities and Events
The events organised by the FYA aim to bring together more than 5,000 young men and women to participate in over 25 specialised events and five initiatives serving youth in entrepreneurship. These activities are held as part of the Entrepreneurship Caravan, which will embark on a national tour, covering seven stops across all Emirates, to document and analyse young entrepreneurs’ aspirations. Additionally, the Young Entrepreneurs Forum will be organised under the broader national youth action framework aimed at supporting ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World’ campaign.
The Caravan includes a series of events, such as the Emirati Cultural Product Design Workshop, a creative youth event where young Emirati designers compete with one another to develop a unified visual identity for Emirati souvenir products that reflect the authentic local character. The workshop offers a platform for young talents to showcase their abilities in combining elements of Emirati culture and identity with contemporary design requirements to present innovative souvenir products that enhance their local and global presence.
Activities will also include the launch of the National List of Emirati Projects Awarded the ‘Done by Youth’ Label, which aims to highlight projects led by young Emiratis. This national platform acknowledges youth’s efforts and achievements across various economic sectors, which serves to foster community and investor confidence in their innovative capabilities and pioneering role in building impactful and sustainable projects.
New Horizons
Accompanying the Caravan is a series of events designed to enhance the youth’s presence in the entrepreneurial field and open new horizons for them. Foremost among these is the activation of incubators in Youth Hubs, which allow aspiring entrepreneurs to establish their projects through innovative workspaces that serve as a practical alternative to traditional offices in the early stages. It also offers them the opportunity to weave a network of relationships, benefit from workshops and mentoring sessions led by successful entrepreneurs, and accelerate the growth and expansion of their projects.
The Caravan will additionally feature the FYA Station event, which introduces visitors to the Federal Youth Authority’s national initiatives, enabling them to explore ways to participate and join them, either as supporting partners or as active young players in the entrepreneurial journey.
Meanwhile, the Youth Dialogue Series will be held across all seven Emirates, where it will aim to document and analyse the experiences of young entrepreneurs, determining their needs and aspirations in the business environment, in partnership with relevant authorities in each Emirate.
The agenda for the Caravan will also include the launch of the ‘Hawameer Al Multaqa’ Corner, which embodies the spirit of the ‘Year of Community 2025’, providing various segments of the community with the opportunity to showcase their local products to the public. The Corner will be open to creative children, productive families, startup owners, advanced project owners, and People of Determination
Meanwhile, the ‘Pitch Your Project’ event allows entrepreneurs to present their projects and services directly to major companies seeking partners and suppliers, opening doors for new deals and creating opportunities to build strategic relationships that support their business growth.
Opportunities and Challenges
The agenda of events also includes the launch of the Opportunities Map, an interactive platform featuring seven stations that represent the seven Emirates, and showcasing the most prominent opportunities and challenges in each, which enables the youth to explore the business environment more deeply. Outputs from this event will be documented to ensure continuous impact and allow for developing initiatives more suited to the youth’s needs.
Meanwhile, a Panel Discussion will be organised, bringing together a select group of Emirati entrepreneurs to highlight key milestones in their entrepreneurial journeys, share lessons learned and inspiring experiences with attendees, in a bid to support the youth in their next steps towards innovation and leadership.
The Caravan will additionally host interactive workshops designed to create a motivating environment for the youth; inspire them to develop their ideas within realistic scenarios that simulate market challenges and opportunities; and focus on honing their innovation skills, design thinking, and future foresight. The sessions will cover diverse topics, such as leveraging artificial intelligence in entrepreneurship, product development, and designing solutions that meet the community’s needs. Concurrently, the Youth Opportunities event will be showcasing the most prominent programmes and unique opportunities offered by various entities and companies to support young people’s progress and empower them to innovate.
Finally, the Caravan will conclude its activities with the Young Entrepreneurs Forum, the largest gathering of its kind for Emirati entrepreneurs in the country. The event aligns with the National Youth Agenda 2031, which prioritises empowering the youth and enhancing their participation in growing the national economy.
The forum provides an interactive platform bringing together Emirati entrepreneurs and those interested in entrepreneurship for one all-inclusive day that features workshops, panel discussions, and platforms for showcasing projects, exchanging experiences, and building relationships with investors and representatives from the government and private sectors. The event embodies the Federal Youth Authority’s role in supporting young people on their entrepreneurial journey and enabling them to contribute effectively towards building a competitive and sustainable economy.
