Abu Dhabi Startup Ecosystem Ranks 3rd in MENA for Performance Amid Global Slowdown - Middle East Business News and Information
Startup Genome launches the world's most comprehensive report on startup ecosystems, released at VivaTech Paris
Abu Dhabi, UAE — June, 2025 —Abu Dhabi's startup ecosystem has made remarkable strides, emerging as one of the fastest-growing hubs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), according to the 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) launched today at VivaTech in Paris. Recognized as the world's most comprehensive research on startup ecosystems, the GSER leverages the largest quality-controlled dataset in the industry, analyzing data from over 5 million companies across 350+ entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems worldwide.
The GSER 2025 highlights Abu Dhabi's impressive leap into the top emerging global ecosystems, ranking in the #51-60 tier, up from its previous #61-70 position. This advancement comes despite a global 14% decline in overall startup ecosystem value. Notably, Abu Dhabi generated $4.4 billion (approximately AED 16.2 billion) in Ecosystem Value between July 1, 2022, and December 31, 2024, marking a 6% annual growth.
Abu Dhabi also ranked 3rd in the MENA region for Performance, a category that evaluates startup success through valuations and exit activity. This recognition reinforces Abu Dhabi's position as a dynamic, results-driven hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.
'Abu Dhabi's rise in the global rankings is a testament to the exceptional pace and cohesion of its innovation ecosystem, with Hub71 at the heart of this transformation. Amid a global downturn in startup ecosystem value, Abu Dhabi's long-term vision is beginning to pay off – demonstrating bold leadership and collaborative strength. We expect this momentum to continue, with Abu Dhabi poised to grow at a faster rate than many global peers in the years ahead.' says Samantha Evans, Managing Director MENA, Startup Genome.
The report also places Abu Dhabi among the top five ecosystems in MENA across several core categories, including Knowledge, Funding, and Talent & Experience. Additionally, the emirate was recognized among the region's best for 'Bang for Buck,' reflecting efficient use of venture capital and a strong return on investment.
Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO of Hub71, said: 'Abu Dhabi's rise in global rankings reflects the strength of our startup community and the impact of Hub71's ecosystem-enabling initiatives. Over the past six years, Hub71 has built a connected network of founders, investors, corporates, and global partners, enabling sustainable startup growth, international scaling, and the evolution of Abu Dhabi's early-stage technology landscape. This progress is driven by Abu Dhabi's deliberate focus on innovation and technology, alongside an increasingly agile business and regulatory environment. Hub71 and its startups continue to benefit from a compelling Abu Dhabi value proposition, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to the emirate's economic and technological ambitions.'
Sectoral drivers of startup growth in Abu Dhabi: FinTech, ClimateTech, and Digital Assets are key strengths of Abu Dhabi's innovation landscape, supported extensively by strategic regulatory frameworks, and sector-specific infrastructure. Key developments including ADGM's expanded licensing frameworks, substantial venture funding, and strategic partnerships in sustainability-focused enterprises, and strategic alliances in blockchain technology, exemplify the emirate's deliberate and cohesive strategy for long-term economic diversification and innovation.
Why startups choose Abu Dhabi: The emirate's appeal lies in forward-thinking policies, such as streamlined regulatory procedures and targeted government support for technology-driven sectors. Initiatives such as Khalifa Fund's MZN HUB are pivotal in bridging local startups with international innovation networks, further amplifying Abu Dhabi's global entrepreneurial influence.
The GSER is widely regarded as the most comprehensive evaluation of global startup ecosystems, offering data-driven insights essential for policymakers, ecosystem leaders, and entrepreneurs worldwide. Abu Dhabi's consistent rise in global rankings over the past three years highlights the strength of its strategy and the growth of its startup ecosystem, positioning the emirate as a leading global hub for innovation.
About HUB71:
Hub71 is Abu Dhabi's global tech ecosystem that enables founders to build globally enduring homegrown tech companies in any sector by providing access to global markets, a capital ecosystem, a global network of partners, and a vibrant community filled with highly skilled talent governed by forward-thinking regulation.
Backed by the Government of Abu Dhabi and Mubadala Investment Company, Hub71 is growing its vibrant community of tech startups, investors, government, and corporate partners to ensure the availability of investment, commercial activities, and incentives from the public and private sectors. Through Hub71's entrepreneurial infrastructure, value-add programs, enabling services and support packages, founders can build, and scale widely adopted technologies with purpose and impact. Hub71 is on a mission to introduce new minds and technologies to Abu Dhabi, finding new ways to build globally enduring technology companies and sustain the nation's continuous economic development.
About STARTUP GENOME:
Startup Genome is the world-leading innovation ecosystem development organization, having worked with more than 180 economic and innovation ministries and public/private agencies in over 65 countries. We work to catalyze startup success and ecosystem growth and ensure that all cities and countries capture their fair share of the new economy. Startup Genome strategy clients grew their ecosystem values 59% faster than peers (41% vs. 25%). On average, Startup Genome clients produced $1.4 billion per year more in ecosystem value from an average starting point of $9.2 billion. Our evidence-based ecosystem research, advisory, and scaleup programs are rooted in global experience with the world's largest AI-curated startup dataset and proprietary instruments developed from over a decade of primary research.
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Notably, Abu Dhabi generated $4.4 billion (approximately AED 16.2 billion) in Ecosystem Value between July 1, 2022, and December 31, 2024, marking a 6% annual growth. Abu Dhabi also ranked 3rd in the MENA region for Performance, a category that evaluates startup success through valuations and exit activity. This recognition reinforces Abu Dhabi's position as a dynamic, results-driven hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. 'Abu Dhabi's rise in the global rankings is a testament to the exceptional pace and cohesion of its innovation ecosystem, with Hub71 at the heart of this transformation. Amid a global downturn in startup ecosystem value, Abu Dhabi's long-term vision is beginning to pay off – demonstrating bold leadership and collaborative strength. We expect this momentum to continue, with Abu Dhabi poised to grow at a faster rate than many global peers in the years ahead.' says Samantha Evans, Managing Director MENA, Startup Genome. The report also places Abu Dhabi among the top five ecosystems in MENA across several core categories, including Knowledge, Funding, and Talent & Experience. Additionally, the emirate was recognized among the region's best for 'Bang for Buck,' reflecting efficient use of venture capital and a strong return on investment. Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO of Hub71, said: 'Abu Dhabi's rise in global rankings reflects the strength of our startup community and the impact of Hub71's ecosystem-enabling initiatives. Over the past six years, Hub71 has built a connected network of founders, investors, corporates, and global partners, enabling sustainable startup growth, international scaling, and the evolution of Abu Dhabi's early-stage technology landscape. This progress is driven by Abu Dhabi's deliberate focus on innovation and technology, alongside an increasingly agile business and regulatory environment. 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