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Key Points
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Hub71 champions strongly on AI while aligning with Abu Dhabi’s global tech ambitions
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Healthcare is emerging as Hub71’s next major vertical alongside digital assets and climate tech
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Abu Dhabi infrastructure and sovereign investment strengthen Hub71’s AI-focused ecosystem
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AI startups in drug discovery and genomics highlight the healthcare opportunity
Hub71 champions strongly on AI, and this is becoming the defining focus of Abu Dhabi’s technology ecosystem.
Since its launch in 2019, Hub71 has been central to the emirate’s ambition to compete globally in technology and innovation. Supported by sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and leading global technology players, Hub71 has built a foundation that attracts talent, entrepreneurs, and capital into Abu Dhabi.
From my perspective, the clearest message is that Hub71 AI ambitions are no longer exploratory; they are central. According to Head of Growth and Strategy Peter Abou Hachem, the ecosystem has now accepted 13 new startups in artificial intelligence, bringing the total to 53. This commitment reinforces the positioning of Abu Dhabi as a destination for high-value technology creation, with the long-term objective of building the next OpenAI out of the emirate.
AI as a horizontal force
AI is not a niche for Hub71; it is the core technology shaping every industry. Abou Hachem describes it as a horizontal force with influence across sectors. Financial services, logistics, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare are already seeing tangible benefits. In particular, AI-driven models in genomics and drug discovery show measurable advances, placing healthcare at the center of Abu Dhabi’s plans.
Healthcare is becoming the next strategic focus for Hub71, reflecting wider government priorities in Abu Dhabi. After AI, climate tech, and digital assets, healthcare will be the fourth vertical supported. The logic is simple, as Abou Hachem explained, startups thrive where there is infrastructure, investors, and regulatory frameworks ready. Abu Dhabi’s heavy investment in biotechnology and research institutions makes healthcare an attractive opportunity for startups.
Building the Abu Dhabi advantage
Hub71 investment strategies rely on aligning with the emirate’s wider diversification plan. Abu Dhabi continues to put capital into advanced healthcare facilities, biotech centers, and research programs. Residency schemes and lifestyle benefits are designed to attract global specialists, making the city appealing not only to investors but also to the brightest innovators in AI.
What I’ve found is that this dual approach of infrastructure and ecosystem creation gives Hub71 AI startups a platform for scale. It ensures that technology firms in Abu Dhabi are not isolated, but instead part of a wider economic plan.
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Abu Dhabi builds AI strength through Hub71 investment
Still, I would argue that challenges remain. Competing with Silicon Valley requires not only infrastructure and funding but also global network effects that take years to form. While Abu Dhabi has the resources and determination, winning over global founders and investors will be the long-term test.
From where I stand, the decision to place healthcare alongside AI as a major vertical is pragmatic. Healthcare brings real-world demand, measurable outcomes, and clear benefits to society. This positions Hub71 as not only a center of technological ambition but as an active contributor to human welfare.
In the coming years, the scale of Hub71 investment will be decisive. If the ecosystem can produce a globally recognized AI company while anchoring healthcare innovation, then Abu Dhabi will move closer to its goal of being a genuine global tech hub. For now, Hub71 champions strongly on AI, and all signs indicate healthcare will be the next frontier.
