STARZPLAY has been named a company to watch, according to the FT: Future 25 Middle East List, from the Financial Times. We’ve been chosen as one of the region’s top start-ups that are “disrupting their sectors and thriving” in the region.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler, described the emirate as the region’s “Silicon Valley,” and pledged on Twitter that the regional trade and finance hub would present the “best Expo edition in its 168-year-old history”.
Regionally, there has been a marked growth in the digital market, with big global companies tapping into the region’s youthful, tech-savvy populations.
Dubai, however, isn’t alone in seeking to foster the growth of tech. Bahrain launched “FinTech Bay” last year as part of an effort to help early-stage groups reach commercial viability and encourage global companies to establish regional bases.
This year, the UAE’s capital launched “Hub 71” that will offer Dh1bn ($272m) of investment into funds and start-ups in its first five years. Mubadala, the emirate’s sovereign investment vehicle that is overseeing the project, will offer incentives including discounted licensing, office space, residential housing, and health insurance.
