Latest news with #DFF
Hi Dubai
16 hours ago
- Business
- Hi Dubai
Dubai Future District Fund Reports $1.65 Billion in Capital Commitments and Backs 190 Startups in 2024
The Dubai Future District Fund (DFDF) marked a year of strong strategic growth in 2024, securing over US$1.65 billion in capital commitments and supporting more than 190 portfolio companies through direct investments and Fund of Funds initiatives. The update was revealed during DFDF's Annual General Meeting, where the Board of Directors detailed the Fund's progress in advancing its mandate. Anchored by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), the Fund plays a key role in aligning with the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) by fueling innovation and strengthening the venture capital ecosystem. Chairman of the DFDF Board and CEO of DFF, Khalfan Belhoul, said the Fund's achievements underline its role in shaping Dubai's digital economy and investing in future technologies across key sectors. Arif Amiri, DFDF Board Member and CEO of DIFC Authority, emphasized the importance of global collaboration in positioning Dubai as a hub for innovation. In addition to financial backing, DFDF spotlighted its value creation efforts in 2024 through strategic case studies, developed in partnership with institutions across various sectors. These efforts highlight the Fund's role as a bridge between public and private sectors, encouraging scalable innovation. Looking ahead, and in line with the UAE's declaration of 2025 as the Year of the Community, DFDF is set to deepen its focus on fostering inclusive innovation networks. The Fund reaffirmed its commitment to building stronger connections between startups, investors, regulators, and global markets. The Fund's continued momentum reinforces Dubai's growing reputation as a global destination for tech talent and venture investment. News Source: Emirates News Agency
Al Etihad
17 hours ago
- Business
- Al Etihad
Dubai Future Academy launches courses on foresight, AI, and leadership
3 June 2025 14:23 DUBAI (ALETIHAD)Dubai Future Academy, the capacity-building arm of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) has launched eight new training programmes for 2025 aimed at equipping leaders, professionals, and future-focused individuals across all sectors with the critical skills of foresight, artificial intelligence, and courses are scheduled to run throughout the year, and they are aligned with DFF's efforts in preparing future leaders to shape a more resilient, future-ready society, and empower talent with the skills needed to thrive in a fast-changing on the occasion, Abdulaziz AlJaziri, Deputy CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, said: 'These programmes reflect Dubai's long-standing commitment to equipping individuals and institutions with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate disruption, embrace innovation, and design the future. The Dubai Future Academy remains a key pillar in preparing our talent for the opportunities ahead – across sectors, disciplines, and borders.'The academy welcomes participants across the spectrum of executive, leadership, and strategic roles, including C-suite leaders, policymakers, directors, decision-makers, and mid-to-senior professionals, and individuals seeking to upskill in strategy, innovation, foresight, and specialised courses cover a wide range of disciplines, including scenario planning, AI productivity tools, innovation, leadership resilience, and strategy in partnership with world-class institutions and subject-matter experts, where each course is designed to empower participants with hands-on insights and practical tools for immediate June onwards, the 2025 courses include Foresight Leadership (June 16-17), Future-Proofing Innovation (September 22-24), AI Workplace (October 7-8), Futures Thinking (November 24-25), and Innovation Foresight (December 8-10).Each course is built on the Academy's three core pillars—Futures Literacy, Futures Technologies, and Futures Methodologies—covering skills such as scenario-building, systems thinking, AI applications, and leadership will emerge from the programs with a mix of theoretical understanding, real-world studies, and practical workshops that lay the foundation for a new approach to thinking, planning, and academy welcomes mid to senior level professionals, entrepreneurs, government officials, and change-makers from across industries to join the upcoming sessions. Registrations are now open for courses starting from June to December. Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
Zawya
21 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Dubai Future District Fund drives $1.65bln in capital commitments and powers over 190 startups
Dubai, UAE: At its Annual General Meeting, the Dubai Future District Fund (DFDF), which is anchored by Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), unveiled highlights from its 2024 performance, celebrating a year of strategic growth, deepened alignment with Dubai's economic vision, and bold steps toward fostering a resilient, inclusive innovation ecosystem. The AGM also served as a platform to outline DFDF's focus for 2025, designated nationally as the Year of the Community. Reflecting on the UAE's declaration of 2024 as the Year of Sustainability, DFDF emphasised the Fund's sharpened commitment to long-term value creation, responsible innovation, and community-minded investment. Throughout the year, DFDF strengthened its partnerships with founders, investors, and stakeholders tackling real-world challenges, reinforcing the Fund's dual role as both a capital allocator and ecosystem enabler. 2024: A Year of Strategic Achievements The Board of Directors reported significant milestones across the Fund's investment mandate, including: Support for over 190 portfolio companies, through both direct investments and 12 Fund of Funds initiatives More than $1.65 billion in capital commitments raised by supported funds as of year-end 2024 Continued alignment with the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), enhancing the Fund's role in advancing technology, talent, and venture capital in the region H is Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, DFDF Board of Directors Chairman and CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation said: 'These achievements underscore the central role that the Dubai Future District Fund plays in driving the growth of Dubai's digital economy – one that thrives on innovation and leverages the latest future technologies across key sectors.' Demonstrating Value Beyond Capital In 2024, DFDF went beyond its core investment activities to showcase how venture capital can serve as a conduit for public-private collaboration and scalable innovation. The Fund published value creation case studies in partnership with key institutions across sectors – spotlighting its growing role as a strategic enabler. This included forward-looking engagements with Dubai Land Department and Dubai Health, exploring innovation partnerships that align government priorities with startup-driven solutions. DFDF also piloted projects with Nestlé and AWS, aimed at identifying opportunities around technology adoption, and business enablement. These initiatives reflect DFDF's broader commitment to translating capital into impact – fostering not only financial returns, but also operational value, strategic insights, and innovation capacity across the region's future economy stakeholders. Looking Ahead to 2025 With the UAE's announcement of 2025 as the Year of the Community, DFDF outlined a renewed commitment to building stronger bridges across the innovation landscape – between founders and funders, startups and regulators, and the region and global markets. 'Innovation thrives not in isolation, but within inclusive, connected communities,' said Arif Amiri, DFDF Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority. 'As the Fund continues to position Dubai as a global pioneer for innovation, we are more committed than ever to cultivating collaboration with partners globally who are also committed to driving future economic growth.' DFDF's key focus areas for 2025 include expanded capital deployment, prioritising funds and co-investments that support ecosystem building and economic resilience, and deeper ecosystem engagement, with platforms that bring together top founders, investors, operators, and policymakers to foster shared growth. Nader Albastaki, Managing Director at DFDF said: "2024 marked a pivotal year for DFDF, where purpose met performance. We scaled our investments, aligned with Dubai's strategies, and supported innovators driving meaningful change. As we enter 2025 the Year of the Community we're excited to focus on deeper collaboration, ecosystem resilience, and a shared vision of Dubai as a global capital of innovation and opportunity." About Dubai Future District Fund (DFDF) The Dubai Future District Fund is a venture capital fund anchored by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF). The Fund invests in startups and VC funds building the future economy of Dubai and the broader MENA region. DFDF plays a dual role as both a Fund of Funds and a direct investor, with a core focus on innovation, sustainability, and long-term impact.
TECHx
a day ago
- Science
- TECHx
Dubai Research Grant Applications Now Open for Second Cycle
Home » Smart Sectors » Education » Dubai Research Grant Applications Now Open for Second Cycle Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) has announced the opening of applications for the second cycle of the Dubai Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Grant Initiative. The program invites universities and research institutions across Dubai to submit high-impact proposals. These proposals should aim to drive progress in technology, the economy, society, and innovation. Launched in collaboration with local and international academic institutions, the initiative supports research aligned with Dubai's national priorities and future strategies. This cycle focuses on two main domains: Cognitive Cities and Health & Life Sciences. Each domain includes four topics that use advanced technologies. DFF revealed that the 'Cognitive Cities' domain supports research in: Smart mobility solutions Next-generation built environments and infrastructure Climate-neutral, resilient urban systems Urban health intelligence for proactive well-being Meanwhile, the 'Health & Life Sciences' domain targets: Biological discovery and systems science Clinical and translational health Health innovation and engineering Biomanufacturing and synthetic biology The foundation reported that proposals will be evaluated based on several criteria. These include alignment with Dubai's RDI priority areas, innovation in methodology, sectoral impact, and budget viability. Applications will remain open until Friday, 13 June 2025. Submissions can be made via Shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit full proposals. Selected projects will receive financial support for periods ranging from one to three years. In the first cycle, the initiative funded 24 research projects from 13 institutions. These were chosen from 374 proposals submitted by 41 academic entities. A total of 219 researchers across various career stages benefitted from the program. The focus areas in the first cycle included Future Cities and Health & Life Sciences. These projects strongly emphasized AI and robotics applications. The initiative was launched in September 2024 by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He is the Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of DFF. DFF stated that the initiative is part of the broader Dubai Research and Development Programme. It aims to fund bold, future-oriented research and cement Dubai's status as a global innovation leader. Khalifa Al Qama, Executive Director at Dubai Future Labs, said the initiative is designed to support researchers and innovators in Dubai. He added that it provides technical direction and financial support to bring pioneering ideas to life. He also noted that the program builds an integrated platform to encourage scientific research and foresight thinking. This helps develop breakthrough ideas and strengthens Dubai's position as a global hub for creative minds. Recently, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan approved the goals for Phase Two of the Dubai R&D Programme. He allocated AED 750 million to accelerate its progress. The program aims to enable a sustainable digital economy and enhance Dubai's global competitiveness in key future sectors. Overseen by DFF, the Dubai RDI Programme focuses on delivering tested, knowledge-based solutions. It also seeks to boost productivity, support emerging industries, and enhance Dubai's economic resilience and readiness for the future.
Hi Dubai
2 days ago
- Business
- Hi Dubai
Dubai Future Foundation Opens Second Round of RDI Grant to Drive Innovation in Key Sectors
Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) has launched the second cycle of its Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Grant Initiative, calling on universities and research institutions in Dubai to submit proposals that tackle pressing challenges across technology, health, and urban development. The initiative, part of the broader Dubai RDI Programme launched by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2024, aims to fund high-impact, future-focused research aligned with Dubai's strategic priorities. Applications for the second cycle are open until June 13 via their website. This cycle focuses on two core domains: Cognitive Cities and Health & Life Sciences. The former covers areas such as smart mobility, climate-resilient infrastructure, urban health intelligence, and next-generation city design. The latter includes research in clinical health, biomanufacturing, systems science, and medical innovation. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit full proposals, with selected projects receiving funding for up to three years. Evaluation criteria include relevance to Dubai's innovation agenda, potential for partnerships, scalability, and long-term impact. In its inaugural cycle, the initiative funded 24 projects from 13 academic institutions, chosen from 374 submissions. Over 200 researchers across career stages participated, with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and robotics in health and urban systems. Khalifa Al Qama, Executive Director at Dubai Future Labs, said the programme empowers researchers and innovators to bring transformative ideas to life, positioning Dubai as a global hub for knowledge and technology. With AED750 million allocated for Phase Two of the Dubai RDI Programme, the grant initiative is a key driver in building a diverse, sustainable digital economy and advancing Dubai's global competitiveness. News Source: Emirates News Agency
