Country guide
Startup credits in the United Arab Emirates
A startup registered in United Arab Emirates can apply to 1308 programs we track: 930 credit programs and 378 accelerators. 133 more are restricted to other countries, and they are named below.
The UAE has one of the better-served startup ecosystems outside the US, and a free-zone company clears the entity requirement for most global credit programs.
Below is what a UAE-registered startup can apply for today, drawn from our catalog rather than from a press release, plus the programs that are restricted elsewhere.
What your entity needs to be
A mainland LLC or a free-zone company (DMCC, DIFC, ADGM, Hub71 and the rest) both satisfy the "registered company" requirement that nearly every program starts with. Free-zone entities occasionally trip up providers who ask for a VAT number, so having one ready shortens the process.
Open to UAE startups
The largest programs with no country restriction blocking you.
- NKFIH Startup Factory Programme$5,000,000,000
National Research, Development and Innovation Office, Hungary
- Fonds de Soutien à l’Innovation$3,000,000,000
DER/FJ, Senegal
- CSI and Startup Flagship Program$1,200,000,000
Ministry of Industry, Commerce & Employment, Bhutan
- Skolkovo Foundation Grants$850,000,000
Skolkovo Foundation
- KCB-EIB SME/Youth/Women Facility$230,000,000
KCB Bank + European Investment Bank
- SME Subsidised Loan Facility$200,000,000
Government of Papua New Guinea, via Bank South Pacific
Closed to UAE startups, and why
These set a country allowlist that does not include United Arab Emirates. We list them so you do not spend an evening on an application that cannot succeed.
- Torch Program
Open to China.
- Bourse French Tech
Open to France.
- British Business Bank Start Up Loans
Open to United Kingdom.
- NAB Startup Loans
Open to Australia.
- Bank of Industry SME/Startup Loans
Open to Nigeria.
- R&D Tax Incentive (New Zealand)
Open to New Zealand.
Accelerators based in United Arab Emirates
Questions founders here ask
Looking for accelerators instead?
Credits and accelerator programs are judged on different rules, so they have their own list.
Startup accelerators in the UAE