Prime Highlights
- Dubai South and Emirates NBD partnered to streamline banking access for SMEs, strengthening the development’s business-friendly ecosystem.
- Emirates NBD stated the collaboration supports Dubai’s ambition to double its economy by 2033 and rank among the world’s top three economic cities.
Key Facts
- Dubai South is a master-planned urban development built around Al Maktoum International Airport, focusing on aviation, logistics, and real estate.
- Emirates NBD is a leading UAE banking group and the first bank globally to publish an IFRS S1 and S2-aligned sustainability report.
Background
Dubai South and Emirates NBD have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding as partners to small and medium enterprises that are in operation in Dubai South, and to enhance their access to basic banking services. The agreement was signed by Saif Al-Ali, the Director of licensing and free zone management at Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Hamad Mohamed Zayed, the group head of business banking at Emirates NBD.
The program unites students, developers, entrepreneurs, and government to work together on solutions that are driven by artificial intelligence, data analytics and emerging technologies. The participants will be required to deal with some real-world problems related to industries of smart cities, health, sustainability, and government services.
The UAE hackathon exists as part of its mission to build a data-first economy, which promotes innovation through open data platforms and partnerships between different industries. Governments are actively engaged as they offer datasets and problem statements to make sure that solutions are aligned with the national priorities.
The UAE Hackathon has, over the years, become an important tool in talent identification, acceleration of innovation and the creation of a culture of experimentation. It also facilitates the creation of scalable digital solutions, which can be applied in the ecosystems of the public and private spheres.
The 2026 version will make the UAE even stronger as a digital innovator regionally, with the help of AI and data, contributing to the economic and social impact.
