Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 and Fikra Ventures Join Forces to Propel AI Startups Globally

Fikra Ventures has struck a new partnership with Hub71 in Abu Dhabi, setting the stage for a fresh wave of AI‑native startups to grow from the emirate and, hopefully, push out into global markets. The two sides signed the agreement at Hub71, with Fikra Ventures stepping in as a partner venture studio to help build companies from scratch while also teaming up with selected international AI firms that want a proper route into the region.

What caught my attention straight away is how the timing feels very spot on. Everyone’s talking about AI models getting smarter by the day, but as I’ve seen around the MENA entrepreneurship scene, clever tech alone rarely gets you over the finish line. Distribution, navigating regulated markets and getting to commercial traction quickly can make or break a young startup. This partnership leans exactly into that, pairing Hub71’s founder‑friendly ecosystem with the more hands‑on venture‑building approach that Fikra Ventures is known for.

As part of Hub71’s Initiate Programme — which launched in 2025 to support founders at the idea and pre‑seed stage — Fikra Ventures will help shape new startups through two main tracks: building AI companies in‑house and forming joint ventures with global players who want to scale out of Abu Dhabi. It’s an interesting mix, and I reckon it’ll appeal especially to AI teams that have strong tech but are still figuring out the business side of things.

Wael Aburida, the CEO and Managing Partner at Fikra Ventures, said the company believes in Abu Dhabi’s ambition to become not only a major financial hub but a leading global centre for AI. He added that their goal is to build the world’s top AI‑native venture studio, aligned with the emirate’s innovation push and powered through Hub71 in ADGM. On the flip side, Hub71’s Startup Journey Lead, Divya Nair, highlighted that the ecosystem is focused on helping high‑potential tech companies scale globally, and sees this partnership as strengthening both venture-building and market‑entry support for founders.

From what I’ve seen through Arageek’s own work with early‑stage teams, having that kind of structured pathway can save startups a lot of faff. One founder told me last year that navigating Abu Dhabi’s regulatory landscape alone felt like trying to decode a manual in the wrong language — helpful if you finally get it, but exhausting until then. So the added guidance here could be a real lifeline.

Fikra Ventures itself positions as an AI‑focused venture builder that turns “the right ideas into enduring businesses,” whether created internally or through selective partnerships with global AI companies wanting to land in the region. Hub71, meanwhile, continues to expand its community of startups, investors, government bodies and corporate partners, all backed by Abu Dhabi’s push to grow a strong tech economy.

Believe it or not, even with all the buzz around AI, strong execution is still the hardest bit. This collaboration feels like one of those moves that could quietly set the groundwork for more serious, globally minded companies to emerge from the region — and I’m chuffed to bits to see Abu Dhabi doubling down on ventures that aren’t just chasing hype but actually building something with teeth. And well… I mean, if they can pull this off at scale, it might just reshape how AI companies grow here.

One thing’s for sure: with both sides pooling resources, support and access to markets, the next generation of AI startups coming out of Hub71 will have a clearer runway than most. Let’s hope they use it wisely and don’t get too carried away in the process — startups can get scrappy so quickly it’s almost funny, or at least it would be if it wasn’t so stressfull.

🚀 Got exciting news to share?

If you're a startup founder, VC, or PR agency with big updates—funding rounds, product launches 📢, or company milestones 🎉 — AraGeek English wants to hear from you!

✉️ Send Us Your Story 👇

https://en.arageek.com/send-us-your-story-or-a-news-tip