The International IT Hub for Startups in Central Asia will open in Dubai

From April 21 to 25, Dubai AI Week is taking place in the United Arab Emirates — one of the largest events dedicated to the development, regulation, and application of artificial intelligence across various industries. The Astana Hub and IT Park Uzbekistan — Central Asian Innovation Hubs alliance presented five Kazakh and Uzbek startups.

The Kazakh delegation at the event was led by Zhaslan Madiev, Minister of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Central Asian Innovation Hubs showcased startups Qalan, Arlan Biotech, Dereknet, Growz, and Unitlab — the region's best AI projects — which demonstrated their innovations in the exhibition zone, attracting the attention of investors and international corporations.

A memorandum was signed at the Dubai AI Week venue between Astana Hub, IT Park Uzbekistan, DIFC Innovation Hub, and Al-Farabi Innovation Hub. According to the agreement, an international hub and acceleration program will be launched in Dubai, starting in autumn 2025. These initiatives will enable startups from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to enter the Middle East and North Africa market, providing access to capital, workspaces, and a mentoring network.

The memorandum includes the joint development of innovative programs, educational tracks for founders, and events aimed at expanding cooperation between the public and private sectors, knowledge exchange, and the implementation of joint opportunities within the ecosystems of the participating countries.

The signing in Dubai is a logical continuation of the agreement between Astana Hub and IT Park Uzbekistan with Growth Vision Pro Ltd. at the AlmatyFair.ai exhibition, which opens doors for regional startups to the Chinese market through a future hub in Shanghai. This new agreement strengthens the Central Asian Innovation Hubs alliance's focus on international expansion and forms a unified, globally integrated Central Asian ecosystem.

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is a leading global financial center in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region. For over 20 years, DIFC has successfully facilitated trade and investment flows between 77 countries in the region, with a combined population of approximately 3.7 billion people and a GDP of around $10.5 trillion. The center connects the rapidly growing MEASA markets with the economies of Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Al-Farabi Innovation Hub is an innovation hub whose concept involves attracting talented entrepreneurs and innovative startups from Central Asian countries to the Middle East and North Africa region and supporting their market entry and business scaling in these countries.