Etisalat Digital announced its partnership with global startups as part of the successful outcomes of the global startup in-residence program run by Dubai Future Accelerators (DFA), an initiative by the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF).

The program, hosted within DFF’s innovation ecosystem, AREA 2071, seeks to connect innovative startups and scaleups with leading entities to bring disruptive tech solution to the UAE.

The accelerator program paired seven international startups and scaleups from six countries out of a pool of 143 applicants with Etisalat Digital, a business unit within Etisalat that is helping to drive digital transformation by enabling enterprises and governments to become smarter through the use of the latest technologies.

Saeed Al Falasi, Executive Director of Future Design and Acceleration at DFF said: “With Dubai Future Accelerators, we are building deeper relationships within the global startup ecosystem in collaboration with leading government entities in Dubai to find innovative solutions to business challenges across growing sectors.

He added: “Looking into the future post COVID-19, we want to infuse the entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit seen throughout the duration of the cohort, by continuing to empower startups with the right tools, support and infrastructure, which will further drive Dubai and the UAE’s smart transformation.”

Etisalat Digital has been part of Dubai Future Accelerator’s nine-week program for three years, which is structured to facilitate the collaboration between government entities and corporate partners from Dubai with international startups and scaleups. The program is also one of the initiatives under Etisalat Digital’s open innovation program ‘FutureNow’.