UAE participates in VivaTech 2025 in France to bolster cooperation in entrepreneurship, technology, AI, creative industries, and sustainability

32 UAE-based startups and SMEs showcase their pioneering projects and innovations highlighting the competitiveness of UAE’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

The UAE participated with an official pavilion at VivaTech 2025, Europe’s leading event for entrepreneurship and advanced technology, held in Paris under the theme ‘The New Frontiers of Innovation’ from 11 to 14 June. H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, led an official economic delegation to the event, with the aim of strengthening international collaboration and exchanging best practices across key sectors including entrepreneurship, technology, artificial intelligence, the creative economy, sustainability, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and smart mobility.

The UAE delegation comprised representatives from 19 entities, including business incubators, universities, and chambers of commerce, such as the DIFC Innovation Hub, Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), Ajman Chamber, Fujairah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Higher Colleges of Technology, Emirates Entrepreneurship Association, UAE University, Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority, and Hub71. In addition, 32 UAE-based startups and SMEs participated to showcase the country’s vibrant innovation ecosystem.

H.E. bin Touq emphasized the deep-rooted ties between the UAE and France, underlining the strong economic partnership that continues to thrive across diverse sectors, underpinned by the visionary leadership of both nations.

UAE and France: A shared vision for SME development

H.E. said: “The UAE and France share a common vision for advancing SMEs and expanding new economy sectors, which are vital pillars for achieving sustainable economic growth and fostering a knowledge-based economy in line with global best practices. In this context, the UAE’s participation in VivaTech reflects our commitment to advancing this partnership and marks a significant milestone in strengthening collaboration across future-oriented economic sectors. It also opens new avenues for entrepreneurs and startups in both countries, building on the strong foundations and promising entrepreneurial environments we share

He added: “Our presence at VivaTech this year aligns with the UAE’s ongoing efforts to support and empower national startups by facilitating access to investment opportunities and key regional and global markets. It also plays a crucial role in building meaningful connections and partnerships with international investors, incubators, and accelerators, advancing our national goal of positioning the UAE as a global hub for the new economy by the next decade, in line with the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.”

Enhancing economic collaboration between the UAE and France

The Minister of Economy continued: “We will also leverage this platform to attract more French companies to the UAE and support their efforts to capitalize on the competitive advantages offered by the UAE economy. These include flexible economic legislation, such as 100 per cent foreign ownership of companies, reduced corporate tax rates, and access to more than 2,000 licensed economic activities for business setup and operations.”

A competitive legislative climate for startups

H.E. Bin Touq said: “Today, more than one million active business licenses are held by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UAE, spanning a wide range of economic sectors and activities. Since 2020, the number of these companies has increased by 166 per cent, and their contribution to the non-oil GDP now exceeds 63 per cent. These figures reaffirm the strength and competitiveness of the UAE’s legislative and regulatory environment for startups. In addition, the UAE was ranked first globally for the fourth consecutive year in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2024/2025 report, which also named the country the best environment for entrepreneurship and SMEs among the 56 economies studied. This reflects the success of our ongoing efforts to build a world-class ecosystem that supports innovation, enterprise, and sustainable economic growth.”

Visit to UAE pavilion at the exhibition

During his tour of the exhibition, His Excellency Bin Touq visited the UAE pavilion to learn about the pioneering Emirati SMEs participating in the event and the innovative solutions they offer. He also inspected several pavilions of French companies specializing in advanced technology and artificial intelligence.

MoU in the field of data centers and artificial intelligence

Furthermore, H.E. Bin Touq witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NodeShift Limited and Qareeb Data Centres, which took place at the UAE pavilion. The partnership aims to enhance cooperation in the fields of data centers, artificial intelligence, and cloud services. It will also contribute to the expansion of artificial intelligence and Web3 solutions, supporting the delivery of superior services to customers in the region.

Bilateral meetings between UAE and French startups

A series of business meetings were held between the owners of national SMEs, French companies, and a number of investors and venture capitalists participating in the exhibition. The meetings aimed to foster strategic partnerships across emerging economic sectors, including technology, artificial intelligence, and advanced industries. Several Emirati entrepreneurs also showcased their pioneering projects and innovative products during various sessions held on the sidelines of the exhibition.

UAE SMEs showcase innovations and advanced solutions

UAE startups showcased a wide range of innovative digital solutions and services that reflect the diversity and richness of the country's entrepreneurial ecosystem. These included software development using advanced technology, cloud computing platforms for smart call centers, digital infrastructure for loyalty programs via blockchain, a smart irrigation system that delivers water directly to plant roots based on chemical signals emitted by the plant, AI-powered real estate marketing platforms, technical solutions to stimulate the circular economy, and AI solutions to support People of Determination in their interactions with society.

In addition, UAE companies showcased innovative digital products and services in various other areas, such as live streaming on social media platforms, consumer behavior analysis, urban climate analysis, green hydrogen production support, data cybersecurity, real-time sports analysis, metaverse technologies, legal contract management, digital health, robotics in education, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, AI virtual workers for repetitive tasks, and generative AI platforms for geographic data.

VivaTech is the largest technology event and startup exhibition in Europe. This year’s edition features strong international participation, bringing together decision-makers, business leaders, and innovation pioneers from around the world. The event attracted approximately 165,000 visitors, more than 13,500 startups, 3,500 exhibitors, and 3,200 investors. Over four days of intensive sessions in the heart of Paris, it serves as a dynamic platform for accelerating innovation, exchanging ideas, and forging strategic partnerships.