Abu Dhabi has launched a programme inviting all talented professionals, students and investors to settle down with their families in the UAE capital.

Called Thrive in Abu Dhabi, the initiative seeks to develop key sectors such as culture, healthcare, research and development (R&D), and real estate.

It offers long-term visas that may translate to the coveted UAE citizenship for talented expatriates in a safe, welcoming and supportive environment, while contributing to Abu Dhabi’s sustainable development.

“Creative talent are encouraged to be part of a global arts and culture hub, join the emirate’s dynamic media and the entertainment industry, or support the development of our understanding of the past among fellow academics, conservators and archaeologists,” an official release stated.

“The creative visa builds on the five-year Culture Sector Strategy for Abu Dhabi, unveiled in November 2019 by the Department of Culture and Tourism, which covers five strategic objectives: preserve and sustain its cultural heritage; increase awareness of, and engagement with, cultural heritage and the arts; stimulate creativity as a driver for education and social change; build and enable capacity in its culture sector; contribute to economic growth and diversification.”

Abu Dhabi has a thriving cultural and creative sector with strong global credentials. They include world-class museums, art centres, art fairs, music concerts, and a grassroots artistic community.

The Capital also boasts the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Warehouse241, Abu Dhabi Art annual fair, Qasr Al Hosn and Cultural Foundation and the forthcoming Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim — not to mention international educational institutions supporting students to excel in creative activities such as NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Sorbonne Abu Dhabi, Berkley College, and CNN Academy.

Students especially have opportunities galore. Those pursuing a PhD or have promising scientific ability at either high school or university level, can expand their horizons and ensure exciting career paths by studying at one of a collection of world-class academic institutions in Abu Dhabi such as NYUAD, Sorbonne Abu Dhabi and Khalifa University.

Students can also learn the skills of the future, including in specialist areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), at the new Mohamed bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence, or coding at 42 Abu Dhabi.

They can participate in pioneering research in areas related to Covid-19 and farm technology at UAE University, or focus on tolerance and coexistence at the world’s first university dedicated to the human fraternity, the Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities.

Thrive in Abu Dhabi also invites innovators to turn their ideas into reality — with access to funding and incentives — as part of a dynamic R&D ecosystem that is pioneering new technologies to solve the global challenges of the future, from water security to food technology.

As part of Abu Dhabi’s accelerator programme, Ghadan 21, the Department of Education and Knowledge has launched academic research grants to award Dh40 million in competitive research funding to support R&D.

Details about the programme — including the long-term visas and paths to citizenship — can be found at https://tamm.abudhabi/en/Golden-Visa or by calling 02-6664442 (outside UAE) or 800 555 (within UAE).

source: zawya

Dubai-based Rising Giants Community (RGN), a bilingual podcasting community, has secured a $1 million funding deal, led by Triangle Media, Barry Kirsch Productions and angel investor Mentioned Al Sayyed.

The corporate was based in early 2020 by Basel Anabtawi, podcaster and host of the ‘Basel Meets’ podcast, Barry Kirsch and Bashar Najjar. It scripts, produces and builds audio experiences in Arabic and English.

RGN shortly topped the charts in numerous classes quick after its launch, because it supplied plenty of Arabic exhibits together with Amalikat Al Tareek (Highway Giants) with F1 host Firas Al Nimri, Sehtak Aham (Higher Well being) with health influencer Baraa Al Sabbagh and Rihlat Al Mosara’a (Wrestling Experience) with wrestling commentators Faisal Al Meghaisib and Yusef Callaway, along with English present Legendary Rock Tales.

Basel Anabtawi, CEO of RGN, stated: “The worldwide podcasting business has just lately witnessed vital milestones with Amazon buying podcasting big Wondery for $300 million, and Spotify licensing The Joe Rogan Expertise solely for $100 million. There’s an engaged viewers of almost seven million people who find themselves in search of top-notch exhibits to get into, and the time to put money into rising this base within the area is now.

“With this funding, RGN is nicely positioned to be the main audio story-telling firm within the area. With a different slate of exhibits in growth, we’re assured that we will attain that aim and produce exhibits that may enchantment to different viewers teams from all backgrounds,” he added.

source: introducestartups

UAE-based e-commerce enabler Zbooni, has raised a $5 million Series A funding round led by an undisclosed London-based fund.

Founded in 2017, Zbooni enables small merchants to easily start, run and grow their businesses online, providing them with a range of business-focused services, such as mobile invoicing and payment solutions, digital storefronts in its marketplace, data insights, automated sales tracking and invoicing.

It initially started out as a chat commerce venture enabling payments via WhatsApp before launching its new e-commerce enablement services, signaling the growing demand for online selling.

Zbooni said that it had recorded a rapid acceleration in 2020, including 600 per cent in customer growth. It currently supports thousands of merchants, processing tens of millions of dirhams every month and has enabled its merchants to serve more than 150,000 customers.

Zbooni will use the funding to grow its team and fuel its expansion across its home market as well as in the Saudi and Jordanian markets.

“Zbooni is on a mission to help provide access to digital commerce tools, ultimately supporting our merchants to start, run and grow their business.

While we wish to keep the investor undisclosed, their reputation and track record speaks for itself, they have previously invested in some of the most successful emerging market growth stories - operating a fund of well over $1billion in assets under management.

Through this support, Zbooni will invest in people to develop even better products for our merchants and enhance the customer experience with best-in-class technology,” said Ramy Assaf, Zbooni CEO and co-founder.

The company was incubated at Facebook, the world’s largest social media network, and is backed by regional and international organisations, including Chalhoub Group, Middle East Venture Partners and B&Y Venture Capital.

“Our customers are the real heroes of this story, and we’re just scratching the surface of what we’re able to help them do,” said Assaf.

“We believe there remain millions of SMEs still left severely underserved across our geographies – we are here for them.”

source: wamda

In alliance with Microsoft, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) will offer owners of local startups the resources and tools to “scale their businesses”. Another tech entity, Plug & Play, is also part of this initiative.

“The partnerships are part of ADIO’s commitment to supporting innovation-focused companies,” said Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi, Director-General of ADIO. “We are providing strategic funding and support to the knowledge and tech experts to develop and run programmes that accelerate opportunities in Abu Dhabi for startups.”

Startup focussed

Microsoft will brings its Startups Programme, which provides technology, Azure cloud services, and business support tools to develop the required skillsets.
The first two are the Growth X Accelerator, a virtual accelerator programme with a focus on recruiting local and regional startups, and ‘Highway to 100 Unicorns’, an initiative to recruit high-potential startups for the Accelerator as well as future programmes by Microsoft and ADIO.

Further initiatives focused on entrepreneurship for Emiratis and UAE residents, as well as university students, are in the works.

“We are committed to deepening our support for investors and innovators in 2021,” said Bin Hendi.
“As the global economy looks to the future, Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem is well-positioned as the region’s foremost investment destination for big thinkers to realise their ambitions.”

source: gulfnews