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Amira Khalil

  • 3 min read

Make us preferred on Google

  • 3 min read
  • Press Release

PUBLISHED BY ICN PRESS

  • A venture builder-backed startup is now building from Abu Dhabi through the programme, strengthening Abu Dhabi’s innovation pipeline
  • Two new venture builders expand founder support across Hub71’s innovation ecosystem
  • 500 attendees across Initiate’s July-August workshop series reflect growing demand for early-stage entrepreneurial support

Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, is expanding Initiate, its early-stage founder programme, after attracting more than 5,500 applications since launch. A startup has already been selected to begin its venture-building journey with Initiate at Hub71, receiving support to refine its products, validate market demand and prepare for commercial growth.

Through Initiate, Hub71 is combining venture builder expertise with practical founder development. Founders receive hands-on support to refine ideas, validate opportunities and build new ventures, while aspiring entrepreneurs can access workshops designed to develop the skills, networks and confidence needed to take their first steps towards building a startup.

Initiate has attracted almost 5,500 applications, reflecting strong demand from aspiring founders looking to turn early-stage ideas into viable ventures. This momentum has extended into the programme’s workshop series, with 500 aspiring founders attending seven sessions across July and August focused on problem validation, customer discovery, venture-building and co-founder identification. Delivered by Hub71 partners, the workshops equip aspiring founders with practical tools, industry insights and opportunities to build connections within Abu Dhabi’s startup ecosystem, helping them turn ideas into viable ventures.

Hub71 has also added Disrupt.com and TMC2 MEA to Initiate’s venture-builder network, expanding founders’ access to technical, commercial and investor expertise across a wider set of sectors.

Mohammad Alkhoori, Head of Startup Journey and Communications, Hub71, said: “Demand for early-stage support in Abu Dhabi is growing quickly. Every founder’s journey starts with an idea, but turning that idea into a successful startup requires the right guidance at the right time. Through Initiate, we are giving aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage founders access to experienced venture builders and a collaborative ecosystem that helps them validate ideas, build ventures, and take their next steps with confidence.”

Marking an early milestone for the programme, Hub71 has selected a startup to advance through Initiate, aligned with a priority sector for Abu Dhabi’s economy. Prism56, an AI-driven platform developed by Fikra Ventures to automate venture capital deal evaluation and investment committee workflows, has progressed from concept to minimum viable product and will now move into validation and pilot deployment. As a studio-led startup, Prism56 will continue to receive tailored venture-building support, mentorship and resources from Fikra Ventures to support its path to commercialisation. The startup will also receive licensing and office space support from Hub71 for one year, alongside access to its wider ecosystem of over 150 corporate, government and investment partners, service providers and founder community.

Through Initiate, Hub71 supports founders at the ideation and pre-seed stages by combining venture builder expertise with practical founder development, helping them validate ideas, develop business models and prepare their ventures for growth. Startups completing Initiate are positioned to progress into Hub71’s Access Programme, forming a clear pathway from idea to growth within Hub71’s broader tech ecosystem.

By supporting more founders as they build scalable ventures, Hub71 is strengthening Abu Dhabi’s pipeline of high-growth startups and reinforcing the Emirate’s position as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

About Hub71

A global tech ecosystem championing startup growth from Abu Dhabi. The extensive ecosystem brings together renowned corporations, national champions, and prominent investors to help founders grow and scale disruptive technology companies globally from the UAE capital. The aim is to shape a future that knows no bounds.

TAGS
  • Abu Dhabi, Hub71, Press Release

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Etihad launches Etihad Escapes
  • Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways has unveiled Etihad Escapes, a new travel platform designed to extend the Etihad experience beyond the flight and make it easier for guests to plan and book more of their journey in one place.

Announced at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026 in Dubai, Etihad Escapes will launch in October, initially allowing guests with an Etihad flight booking to add hotel accommodation directly through etihad.com.

The platform is the first step towards a broader integrated travel offering that Etihad plans to develop through 2027, bringing together flights, hotels and additional travel services within a single digital experience, with further integration into the Etihad app and Etihad Guest.

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said, “Our guests already choose Etihad to take them to some of the world’s most exciting destinations. With Etihad Escapes, we want to make the rest of their journey just as easy.”

He added that the platform aims to build a deeper relationship with guests beyond the flight, eventually bringing together flights, hotels, Etihad Guest and other travel experiences in one place to provide a simpler and more personalised journey.

Neves said Etihad Escapes also creates a new growth opportunity for Etihad and Abu Dhabi by connecting the airline’s network with a wider travel offering and some of the emirate’s leading visitor experiences.

He added that the platform can help attract more visitors to Abu Dhabi, encourage them to explore more of the emirate and support its ambition to welcome 39.3 million visitors and raise tourism’s contribution to GDP to AED90 billion by 2030.

At launch, Etihad Escapes will allow guests to add a hotel after booking their flight, giving them access to accommodation through etihad.com without needing to plan different elements of their journey across multiple platforms.

The platform will gradually expand to allow customers to search and book hotels independently and later combine flights and hotel accommodation within an integrated booking experience.

Future phases will extend Etihad Escapes to the Etihad app and introduce greater personalisation, enhanced Etihad Guest integration and a wider range of travel experiences and additional services.

Etihad Escapes targets a significant commercial opportunity in the global holiday market, valued at approximately US$2.7 trillion and forecast to grow by 6.5 percent through 2030, with a substantial share of travel spending taking place beyond the cost of the flight.

  • 2 min read
UAE passport ranks first globally
  • Tourism

Passport Reports says the UAE passport ranks first globally in 2026, recording a Mobility Score of 182 and worldwide access of 91.9 percent. Holders can reach that many destinations through visa-free entry, visa on arrival, other simplified entry arrangements, or an eTA. This particular measure places the document among those commonly called the world’s most powerful passport. That UAE passport ranking 2026 update also breaks down access by region, tier, and reciprocity, across all 199 tracked destinations.

UAE passport mobility score breaks into three tiers. Visa-free access covers 128 destinations. UAE passport visa-on-arrival access applies to 44 more. An eTA opens the remaining 10.

Sixteen destinations still require a visa arranged in advance. Those include Afghanistan, the United States, Australia, Belize, Bhutan, Algeria, Eritrea, Cameroon, North Korea, Lesotho, Libya, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Somalia, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Several of them still offer an electronic-visa option. Australia provides a fast-track eVisa. Bhutan, Cameroon, Libya, Nicaragua, Somalia and Venezuela also list eVisa access, though each stays classified as visa-required.

Business Intelligence & News

  • Tabby raised $233 million from existing investors in a Series F round led by Blue Pool Capital, at a $6.5 billion valuation.
  • The figure rises from $4.5 billion in October and, by Bloomberg’s account, now exceeds Klarna’s market value.
  • New Saudi and UAE licences let Tabby move beyond buy now pay later into longer-term credit and a cash account product.
  • The round still needs regulatory sign-off, including from the Saudi Central Bank, and the company has not set a listing timetable.
  • PAYMENTS

UAE passport ranks first globally across Europe, Gulf and Middle East

UAE passport ranks first globally in Europe, where access reaches 100 percent overall. Visa-free entry accounts for 97.9 percent of the region, spanning 46 destinations, with the remainder reached through the eTA category.

Gulf access also reaches 100 percent. UAE passport holders travel visa-free to Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman, the five other GCC states.

Middle East access also reaches 100 percent overall. Visa-free entry makes up 75 percent of that region. Visa on arrival or simplified entry adds 18.8 percent, and an eTA covers the final 6.3 percent. No Middle Eastern destination sits in the visa-required column.

Access outside these three regions varies by geography. Caribbean access stands at 93.8 percent. Oceania reaches 92.9 percent, South America 91.7 percent, Asia 89.8 percent, Africa 88.9 percent, North America 87 percent, and Central Asia 80 percent.

UAE passport visa-free countries and wider rankings

Per Passport Reports, the UAE passport ranks first globally among 50 Asian countries, 17 Middle Eastern countries, and six Gulf countries. It also leads among 24 Arabic-official-language countries, 159 World Trade Organization members, 57 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries, 22 Arab League countries, 11 BRICS countries and 132 G77 countries.

Per the same report, UAE passport visa-free countries do not all share the same entry process. Dominica, El Salvador and Armenia allow visa-free stays of up to 180 days. United Kingdom and Canada eTA entries carry the same allowance. Additional steps apply elsewhere. Dominican Republic entry calls for an e-ticket ahead of a 30-day stay. Malaysia requires an arrival card for 90 days. Suriname uses a tourist card, also for 90 days. Seychelles calls for tourist registration, and Côte d’Ivoire for pre-registration, both covering 90-day stays.

UAE ranks 91st for inbound travel

UAE passport ranks first globally for outbound travel, but inbound access works differently. Passport Reports also measures how easily foreign nationals can enter the UAE, a separate welcoming-country ranking. On that scale, the UAE places 91st out of 199, a figure distinct from its own passport’s Mobility Score and not to be confused with it.

Two reciprocity gaps stand out in the data. United States and Australian passport holders can enter the UAE visa-free, electronically, or on arrival, while UAE passport holders need a visa to enter either country. A longer list runs the other way. India, Pakistan, Kenya, Thailand, Türkiye, and South Africa all require their own citizens to secure a visa for the UAE, even as UAE passport holders receive visa-free, electronic, on-arrival, or otherwise simplified entry to each of those destinations.

  • 3 min read

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