AI remains the biggest opportunity
George Hojeige, Group CEO of Virtuzone, said AI presents one of the biggest opportunities for entrepreneurs. “I think AI is a huge opportunity at the moment,” he said, adding that businesses across industries are now looking at how they can integrate artificial intelligence into their operations.
He said sectors such as data centres, e-commerce and AI-driven businesses are attracting growing interest, while many entrepreneurs are creating companies to solve challenges exposed by recent disruptions to global supply chains.
Hojeige also identified manufacturing, transport, logistics, oil and gas services and food security as sectors seeing increased demand.
“We see a lot of demand for food security, manufacturing, supply chain, transport and logistics,” he said.
Food security offers untapped potential
Zubair Ul Islam, Director of Sales at Ajman Free Zone Authority, said agriculture and food production remain underdeveloped sectors with significant growth potential. “I have a little bias towards agriculture,” he said. “It’s an underserved territory in this country.”
He pointed to increasing investment in indoor farming and locally grown produce, saying food security will remain an important priority for the UAE.
“If I had Dh10 million to spend right now, I’d let everyone go towards AI and go towards food security.”
Islam also highlighted manufacturing as an area where the UAE can continue to attract international investment, particularly from India and China.
Rather than focusing only on India’s largest cities, he said there is significant potential in tier-two and tier-three manufacturing hubs that are already exporting globally but need support entering the UAE market.
Compliance becomes a priority
Alongside growth opportunities, panellists said businesses can no longer afford to overlook accounting, taxation and regulatory compliance.
Huzefa Vorajee, Founder and CEO of Evolve Accounting Group, said compliance has shifted from being a back-office function to becoming central to business operations following the introduction of VAT and corporate tax.
“It’s no longer something that you can prove as a back office function. It’s something that’s front and centre of your business,” he said.
He added that investors are increasingly looking for well-regulated markets. “Investors don’t just look at jurisdictions that are lower tax; they look at regulation as well.”
Why free zones remain popular
The panel also discussed why free zones continue to attract startups and SMEs.
Hojeige said flexibility, faster licensing and fewer setup requirements remain the main advantages over mainland company formation.
“The flexibility, the agility and the speed of setup are what attract entrepreneurs most,” he said.
Islam added that each UAE free zone serves different industries, with manufacturers, healthcare providers and technology companies choosing jurisdictions based on their specific business needs rather than competing solely on cost.
Women entrepreneurs gaining confidence
Sanaa Ouahmane, business leader and author, said women entrepreneurs are entering the market with greater confidence than ever before.
“Women are no more asking for a seat at the table; they are building the table,” she said.
She advised aspiring entrepreneurs to focus on solving genuine problems rather than launching businesses without a clear purpose.
“The first thing I look at is: does this idea solve a problem?” she said.
She also stressed that investors back founders as much as business ideas, making resilience and personal credibility critical qualities for entrepreneurs.
Dhanusha is a Chief Reporter at Gulf News in Dubai, with her finger firmly on the pulse of UAE, regional, and global aviation. She dives deep into how airlines and airports operate, expand, and embrace the latest tech.
Known for her sharp eye for detail, Dhanusha makes complex topics like new aircraft, evolving travel trends, and aviation regulations easy to grasp. Lately, she’s especially fascinated by the world of eVTOLs and flying cars.
With nearly two decades in journalism, Dhanusha’s covered a wide range, from health and education to the pandemic, local transport, and technology. When she’s not tracking what’s happening in the skies, she enjoys exploring social media trends, tech innovations, and anything that sparks reader curiosity. Outside of work, you’ll find her immersed in electronic dance music, pop culture, movies, and video games.
