Kamal Hassan, the owner of Innovation 360 Consultancy in Dubai, plans to launch his accelerator in November. AVS Kumar
Kamal Hassan, the owner of Innovation 360 Consultancy in Dubai, plans to launch his accelerator in November. AVS Kumar
Kamal Hassan, the owner of Innovation 360 Consultancy in Dubai, plans to launch his accelerator in November. AVS Kumar
Kamal Hassan, the owner of Innovation 360 Consultancy in Dubai, plans to launch his accelerator in November. AVS Kumar

Crack it with incubators


  • English
  • Arabic

Most small businesses need someone to hold their hands as they face the harsh realities of life.

Until recently, such guidance was hard to find but that is changing.

At least two new business incubators - Silicon Oasis Founders and i360accelerator - will offer networking and seed money in exchange for equity in successful companies. They are expected to launch in Dubai by the end of the year.

"We need more incubators to create grassroots enterprises," says Manoj Nakra, the executive director of Dubai SME.

Budding entrepreneurs can turn to business incubators for guidance and office space to grow their business. Angel investors and networking sessions are other support mechanisms.

But there are still challenges.

"[The] economic value of such business centres are measured on the basis of the graduation rate of new companies," Mr Nakra says.

Figures from the National Business Incubation Association in the United States show incubators in North America helped start-ups to create US$17 billion (Dh62.44bn) in revenues in 2005.

Dubai SME provides Emirati entrepreneurs with office space and helps with networking, pricing of products and services, customer acquisition and development of cost structure. The entrepreneurs pay a monthly rent of Dh1,000 for three years and another Dh1,000 a year for a licence. The businesses are supported until they "graduate" as self-sustaining.

Dubai SME's Business Village in Deirahouses 42 entrepreneurs. The 10,000 square feet space is expected to double by the end of the year. In the past decade, the centre has helped to launch more than 350 enterprises. The agency is now creating a pre-incubation space called Idea Lab to hone business propositions.

Dubai SME also supports expats with incubation services but not space. The team provides its services free and calls it "virtual incubation".

To assist expat entrepreneurs, Kamal Hassan, the owner of Innovation 360 Consultancy in Dubai and one of the organisers of StartupWeekends, plans to launch his accelerator in November.

The i360accelerator will place entrepreneurs with companiesin Jordan, India, Singapore and the US for short periods of mentoring.

Mr Hassan hopes to shortlist 20 such ideas every two-month cycle.

"We are rooting for graduation of 20 per cent of the ideas per cycle," Mr Hassan says. "We will make money when we sell the business plans and will also own equity in the new company."

Apart from these initiatives, venture capitalists and angel investors help entrepreneurs with seed money. But some of them feel there are not enough in the region.

"Most 'alleged' venture capitalists promote themselves as such but they will partake in a few undertakings," says Amir-Esmaeil Bozorgzadeh, the managing partner at Conovi, an online start-up in Dubai.

To overcome the difficulty, Mr Bozorgzadeh suggests casting a critical eye on one's own business plan and evaluating the risks and weaknesses before presenting it to a potential investor.

Also, there are at least nine formal groups in Dubai that helpwith networking for customers or partners. TiE Dubai arranges "free or sponsored events to highlight success stories, role-model events and speakers who inspire [and a platform on which] to meet like-minded and supportive mentors, possible co-founders and business partners," says Prashant Gulati, an angel investor who provides free mentoring.

Literal translation is a hurdle.

"We find it challenging to communicate the meaning of 'business incubation' in Arabic," Mr Nakra says. "In Arabic, the word 'entrepreneur' is understood as 'investor', whereas an entrepreneur 'creates' enterprises through persevering effort using more resources than investment."

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The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
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General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV

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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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