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The first Thara Connect forum will gather investors, business leaders, entrepreneurs and specialists in investment and innovation from the UAE and abroad to strengthen networking, share expertise and identify collaboration and investment partnership opportunities. According to the Emirates News Agency, the event is scheduled for October 29, 2026 at the Thara Centre for Entrepreneurship. It takes place under the patronage of Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman, with Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and Chairman of the Executive Council, expected to attend.
Abdullah Mohammed Al Muwaiji, Chairman of the Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the launch of the Thara ecosystem translates the directives of wise leadership to build a competitive diversified economy in which entrepreneurs and startups serve as the main drivers of growth. Mariam Khalifa Al Nuaimi, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Thara Investment and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, stated that the initiative represents a qualitative leap in Ajman’s approach toward the new economy. She explained that it constructs an integrated environment supporting entrepreneurs across all growth stages of their projects, the Emirates News Agency reported.
The ecosystem builds on the Thara Centre’s prior activities, including an agreement signed in May 2025 with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology to establish an Industry 4.0 Enablement Center at its Ajman headquarters. That partnership, inked during the Make it in the Emirates 2025 event, aimed to support adoption of advanced technology and Fourth Industrial Revolution solutions to boost industrial innovation and competitiveness. The center provides workshops, training programs and panel discussions for industrial stakeholders, according to a statement from the ministry and the hub.
The UAE has ranked first in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor’s National Entrepreneurship Context Index for the fifth consecutive year in the 2025-2026 report. The assessment awarded the country top positions across eight indicators, such as government support and policy, entrepreneurial education, research and development transfer, market dynamics and regulatory ease, while it placed second for entrepreneurial finance. The report recorded a National Entrepreneurship Context Index score of 7.0, with total early-stage entrepreneurial activity reaching 19.2 percent overall.
UAE startups raised $1.2 billion in the first half of 2026, representing roughly 70 percent of all venture capital deployed across the MENA region, according to Wamda data. This marked a 125 percent increase from the comparable period in 2025 despite a 37 percent drop in deal count, with fintech attracting $409 million or about one-third of total funding. Magnitt figures placed first-half investment at $895 million, a 53 percent rise year-on-year, underscoring sustained momentum in the national startup scene that now includes nearly 1,900 tracked companies.
Thara Entrepreneurship Hub has signed multiple partnerships to expand support for SMEs and entrepreneurs, including memorandums with Ruya Bank in 2024 and Ajman Bank to deliver tailored financing, mentorship and banking services. These collaborations established permanent offices at the hub and organized joint events, workshops and initiatives aligned with Ajman Vision 2030 to foster a stimulating business environment. The upcoming forum will include dialogue sessions, specialized meetings and a startup exhibition allowing participants to present innovative solutions and engage directly with investors and business representatives.
