Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 30 September 2026

Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 30 September 2026

GEN UAE Hosts Soft Launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2026, Uniting Founders, Mentors and Partners Ahead of November Campaign

More than 70 ecosystem leaders gather in Dubai as Apex Auditing and The 5th Dimension, Country Hosts of GEW UAE, open the national campaign in alignment with We the UAE 2031 and the D33 Agenda.

DUBAI, 30 September 2026 — The Global Entrepreneurship Network UAE (GEN UAE) successfully hosted the soft launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2026 (GEW 2026) on Tuesday evening, bringing together more than 70 invitees representing a wide spectrum of industries and professional roles. The gathering marked the formal opening of the national campaign ahead of the flagship November celebrations.

Held at The Ban Cafe within the Apex Auditing premises in Port Saeed, Deira, the evening provided an intimate platform for founders, mentors, investors and institutional partners to connect before the main programme of activities begins. The event was presented by Dr. Khaja Abdul Mutalib – Founder & Chairman of Apex Auditing and Mr. Ahmed Waqar Mohsin – Managing Director of The 5th Dimension, both GEN Global Leaders for the United Arab Emirates.

Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world’s largest celebration of innovators, job creators and ecosystem builders. Each November it unites participants across 200 countries through tens of thousands of local, national and global activities. In the UAE, GEW 2026 is being organised under the national mandate of advancing The Entrepreneurship Nation and the D33 Agenda, in direct support of the targets set out in We the UAE 2031.

The soft launch highlighted GEN’s mission of building one global ecosystem where anyone, anywhere can start and scale a business. Discussions centred on connecting UAE founders to international networks, strengthening cross-border soft-landing corridors, and aligning local efforts with the national ambition of nurturing high-potential technology startups and supporting the pathway toward future unicorns.

Apex Auditing, serving as Country Host of GEW UAE, together with The 5th Dimension Corporate Consultancy, provided the strategic and operational framework for the evening. Both organisations bring deep expertise in corporate structuring, financial compliance, strategic advisory and ecosystem development across the UAE and neighbouring markets.

Attendees represented a deliberately diverse cross-section of the entrepreneurship landscape, spanning technology, professional services, investment, education and corporate innovation roles. The atmosphere reflected the collaborative spirit that GEN seeks to foster: practical conversations, early partnership discussions and a shared commitment to elevating the UAE’s position as a leading global hub for entrepreneurship.

Looking ahead, GEN UAE will roll out a coordinated programme of activities throughout November 2026 under four strategic pillars: Ecosystems, Education, Inclusion and Policy. These pillars are designed to connect local incubators and venture funds to global capital, equip the next generation of founders with practical skills, expand opportunities for underrepresented groups, and engage policymakers on regulatory and capital-access improvements.

Further details of the full GEW 2026 UAE calendar, partnership opportunities and participation pathways will be released in the coming weeks through official GEN UAE channels.

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Media Contact

MARCOM Department

Apex Auditing & The 5th Dimension Corporate Consultancy

Country Hosts of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2026 | UAE

For media enquiries, please contact the GEN UAE team via official channels.

About GEN UAE and Global Entrepreneurship Week

The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) operates across 200 economies to help early-stage startups navigate soft-landing corridors, access capital and scale into international markets. GEN works through four main engines — GEN Founders, GEN Invest, GEN Policy and GEN Ecosystems — supporting more than 2.24 million founders each year. Global Entrepreneurship Week, held every November, is GEN’s flagship annual celebration uniting millions of participants worldwide.

In the United Arab Emirates, GEN is represented by Global Leaders Dr. Khaja Abdul Mutalib – Founder & Chairman of Apex Auditing and Mr. Ahmed Waqar Mohsin – Managing Director of The 5th Dimension. Apex Auditing and The 5th Dimension Corporate Consultancy serve as Country Hosts for GEW 2026 UAE, aligning the campaign with national economic priorities including We the UAE 2031 and the D33 Agenda.

Official channels

LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/global-entrepreneurship-network-uae-official

Facebook — facebook.com/GENUAE

Instagram — instagram.com/genuae_official

WhatsApp Channel

— whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb8OJwgFXUucX0ux152M