DIEZ Launches Employee To Entrepreneur Programme To Empower Staff In Startup Creation

The Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) has introduced the ‘Employee to Entrepreneur Programme’. This initiative is designed to help DIEZ employees and those in its economic zones start and grow their own businesses. The programme supports the national campaign ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World’, initiated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai.

Yousuf Behzad, Chief People & Strategic Transformation Officer at DIEZ, stated, "The launch of the ‘Employee to Entrepreneur’ programme directly supports the strategic objectives of the national campaign ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World’. It also aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to position Dubai among the world’s top three urban economies and establish 30 unicorn companies by 2030. Through this programme, we aim to identify entrepreneurial talent within DIEZ’s workforce and transform their ideas into real, impactful ventures."

The programme is structured around three main phases including the idea development phase, which involves analysing the target market and assessing their product or service-based market needs, followed by the planning and model building phase, which includes developing a comprehensive business plan and identifying the resources and operational strategies and finally the launch and expansion phase, which connects participants with potential investors.

Participants will benefit from services offered by Scality. This innovative programme aids tech startups in establishing and scaling operations locally, regionally, and globally. Additionally, they can access resources at Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus (Dtec), a major technology hub in MENA. These initiatives are part of DIEZ's ecosystem aimed at fostering entrepreneurship.

The programme leverages DIEZ’s world-class business support and development ecosystem, including its advanced infrastructure, tailored licensing packages, business setup services, and strategic initiatives. This support helps employees turn their entrepreneurial ideas into viable ventures. Advisory and investment support comes from Oraseya Capital, DIEZ’s investment arm focused on startup funding.

Behzad added that this initiative builds on DIEZ's comprehensive support system. It empowers businesses of all sizes to expand globally. The Authority's incentives further enable employees to launch innovative businesses that contribute to sustainable economic growth.

Diverse Ideas Across Sectors

The first edition attracted diverse ideas across sectors like technology, mobility, healthcare, design, etc., showcasing DIEZ workforce's varied talents. Ideas were evaluated based on economic feasibility, local market value, scalability potential alongside strategic relevance as well as social-economic impact considerations.

This initiative reinforces DIEZ’s dedication to boosting Dubai’s economy while encouraging innovation. By cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset among employees and providing necessary skills for success; it aims at transforming creative concepts into successful businesses contributing towards UAE's knowledge-driven economy.

With inputs from WAM