UAE and Africa startups meet to foster cooperation

Startups from the UAE and Africa will participate in the first-ever Chamberthon event organised and hosted by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry during the Africa Tech Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, on February 13th-15th.

The Manager, Public Relations and Corporate Communications, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ruba Abdel Halim in a statement said the details about the Chamberthon and mentorship programme were revealed during a kick-off meeting held at Dubai Chamber’s headquarters which was attended by the UAE startups that will be joining the Dubai Chamber-led trade mission to Kigali this week.

The Chamberthon will provide a creative environment where UAE and African startups can collaborate and develop new innovative ideas that will be used to structure the Global Business Forum Mentorship Programme, a holistic three-month programme that will pair startups with mentors who can provide them with valuable expertise, support and guidance.

The new mentorship programme is an extension of Dubai Chamber’s Global Business Forum on Africa platform. During the Chamberthon event, 20 UAE and African startups will be divided into mixed teams and develop and present their concepts for the mentorship programme, while the participating startups will also be given an opportunity to attend the Africa Tech Summit in Kigali.

A total of 10 startups from the UAE and Africa that make the final cut will be selected to participate in the mentorship programme later this year, which will be joined by a pool of expert mentors.

The programme provides many benefits beyond mentorship, including access to networking and Dubai Startup Hub services and support, as well as speaking and exhibiting opportunities at the 5th Global Business Forum (GBF) on Africa in Dubai, taking place in November 2019.

Hamad Buamim, President and CEO, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry said: “By bringing UAE startups to Africa to participate in the Chamberthon and Africa Tech Summit, we are creating a platform for continued cooperation between the two business communities. We are very optimistic about the prospects for the Chamberthon and we are confident that it will achieve its objectives and create a programme that really benefits startups and support them with mentorship and expansion.”

He added that the Chamberthon and the GBF Mentorship programme falls in line with Dubai Chamber’s strategy exploring promising markets around the world and identifying business opportunities in African markets that offer the most potential to its members and the business community in Dubai.