• Dubai continues to enhance its competitiveness as a destination for FDI and a hub for multinational companies.
• Cloudflare has become the latest company to set up operations in Dubai, focusing on customer success, innovation, and growth in the Middle East and Turkey region.
• A robust regulatory framework, stable risk environment, pro-business administration, and access to talent enhance Dubai’s attractiveness as a global business hub.

More than 20 years since its establishment in 2000, Dubai Internet City (DIC) continues to be among the world’s preferred hubs for new economy companies. Several high-growth, high value-added, technology-enabled global firms have recently chosen DIC to establish their regional operations.

The latest to join the ever-growing ranks of new economy companies making DIC their home is the American content delivery network and DDoS mitigation company Cloudflare. Earlier this week, Cloudflare announced Dubai as its first office in the Middle East to support its growing EMEA operations.

The Dubai office offers a base for the growing Cloudflare team in the Middle East and Turkey.
Cloudflare’s Dubai-based team will help the company grow brand awareness, acquire and support customers, and recruit new talent. Cloudflare is one of the many international new economy firms choosing to set up a base in Dubai, the hyper-connected city of the future. Dubai’s rapidly evolving tech ecosystem has helped it swiftly mature into a significant hub for new-age enterprises, including established multinationals, unicorns, and startups.

The emirate offers a unique combination of a robust regulatory framework and a stable risk environment. Its pro-business administration enables and encourages an innovation mindset, and the city provides access to a large pool of talented professionals.

A leading business hub, Dubai is also a lifestyle destination with world-class entertainment and education opportunities. The emirate has established itself as a global hub for business and the future economy. Its enabling ecosystem and infrastructure are a magnet for the world’s most promising companies and brightest minds.

An enabling platform
The region’s leading tech hub, Dubai Internet City is home to a host of Fortune-500 and other major global tech players. DIC offers businesses of all sizes the environment, platform, and tools required to innovate and grow. Ammar Al Malik, Managing Director of Dubai Internet City, said he remains committed to offering Cloudflare the same enabling platform.

He welcomed Cloudflare into the DIC’s growing community, especially given the nature of its services that help build a more reliable, sustainable and accessible Internet. “We are delighted to see Cloudflare joining Dubai Internet City. We look forward to its tech offerings and solutions that will further boost Dubai’s status as a global hub of innovation, safety and cybersecurity,” Al Malik said.

Several sectors have undergone rapid digital transformations and have witnessed increased cloud adoption. Al Malik said this makes a secure and reliable digital infrastructure necessary, given the potential opportunities. He also said cybersecurity is critical for the tech sector, with the global cybersecurity market set to reach a value of USD317 billion by 2027, according to Mordor Intelligence.

He noted that DIC’s inclusive business environment, led by international players that have established their headquarters in the City, has helped make it a hub for IT companies and tech-savvy talent over the last 20 years.

Cloudflare has data centres in 270 cities across 100 countries worldwide, including 27 data centres in the Middle East & Turkey region. The company has doubled its EMEA team to about 700 employees over the last two years. For the Middle East and Turkey region, Cloudflare will prioritise launching new data centres, increasing market share by building partnerships, and expanding its customer base and the local team to cope with the business growth to serve its customers better.

A focus on emerging new tech
As an innovation hub bridging the East and the West, Dubai offers unrivalled access to the world’s fastest-growing economies. The city’s leadership is now consciously focusing on emerging new technologies that will be integral to the future.

Earlier this month, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, directed the formation of a higher committee to prepare the Dubai Metaverse Strategy to contribute to enhancing Dubai’s position as a global hub for the technology.

The higher committee, headed by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, will supervise technological developments in the emirate and oversee developments in the digital economy. It will enhance Dubai’s status as the best city in the virtual space thanks to innovative services and its advanced regulatory and legislative framework. The emirate approved a new Virtual Asset Regulation Law in March to ensure investor protection and transparency.

Last year, Dubai issued over 72,000 new business licences, a growth of 69% compared to 2020, reaffirming Dubai’s position as a global business and investment hub and reinforcing its status as a successful model for the recovery of the business sector.

In 2021, Dubai led the world in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) with a record number of 418 greenfield FDI projects. The feat underscores the power of the emirate’s stable, sustainable economic environment and a vibrant business ecosystem for companies and entrepreneurs to launch new ventures, tap new opportunities and expand their business both in the country and beyond its borders.

Over the years, Dubai has demonstrated its resilience to global economic fluctuations, earning the confidence of international investors and enhancing its reputation as one of the world’s leading lifestyle and business destinations.  

Dubai is one of the world’s most internationally connected and business-friendly cities, offering entrepreneurs an unparalleled bouquet of incentives and choice. The city has 25 free zones that offer an enabling ecosystem for foreign and local entrepreneurs.

In 2021, despite the uncertainties of the global pandemic, Dubai International (DXB) emerged as the world’s busiest airport by international passengers for the eighth consecutive year. DXB is connected to more than 200 destinations across almost 100 countries through 84 international carriers. Dubai’s Emirates airline connects the city to 138 global destinations, while FlyDubai serves over 120 cities.

Dubai’s ongoing investments in technological advancements and infrastructure will help DIC maintain its status as the world’s preferred hub for global technology firms.