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UAE startup ecosystems gain global traction: The UAE's three major emirates — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah — have made strides in Startup Genome's 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (pdf). Regionally, Dubai maintained its spot in second place, trailing only Tel Aviv when it came to the top ecosystems for startups, while Abu Dhabi came in fourth place, climbing one spot from last year, and Sharjah remained seventh. Dubai fell one place to 19th in the emerging ecosystems ranking, but made it to the top ten rankings for emerging markets in terms of early-stage funding value. The emirate’s ecosystem value stands at USD 21 bn.Abu Dhabi’s startup ecosystem stands at USD 4.4 bn, backed by a favorable regulatory and visa environment, government support, infrastructure, and a strategic location, Startup Genome said, pointing out that its tech ecosystem Hub71’s startups had raised USD 2.2 bn as of 2024.Sector-specific progress: Fintech, Web3 and digital assets, and climatetech are the emirate’s particular strengths, the report said. Fintech firm FlapKap secured USD 34 mn under ADGM’s regulatory framework last year, whilst climatetech startup 44.01 raised USD 37 mn for CO2 mineralization and on the web3 front tether announced an UAE AED-pegged stablecoin.Cultural ties in Sharjah: Sharjah’s position as the emerging “intellectual brain of the Gulf” is also attracting talent to the emirates, and boosting research and development infrastructure, entrepreneurial, and research commercialization efforts, the report said, adding that this also strengthens the Emirati talent pipeline for to the tech sectors. Key players contributing to its USD 1 bn startup ecosystem include the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) and the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP). Regionally, GCC countries have been upping the ante on the startups front whilst other regions face a slow down, the report said. Access to funding support for early-stage ventures is part of national government strategies, with a focus on sectors like AI, fintech, deep tech, digital infrastructure, and climatetech. Cross-border growth is also a priority for its scaleup ecosystem, which includes 13 unicorns across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.