Dubai Future Week's The Pitch Will Put Selected Start-Ups Before Shark Tank Dubai Investors

Dubai Future Week runs from November 18 to 21 at Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future under the theme "For the Human of the Future". The foundation expects more than 10,000 experts, inventors and innovators from the UAE and abroad.

The Pitch will concentrate on six sectors: heat- and climate-adaptive infrastructure; food and supply-chain resilience; human development and learning; urban living systems; longevity and preventive health; and energy and water resource systems. The list leans towards the problems most specific to the Gulf, such as extreme heat, water scarcity and food security, rather than general software.

Entry is open to Dubai-based start-ups with a viable product, a prototype or a promising idea addressing needs in the UAE and globally, as well as research-backed projects and university spin-offs. Applications will be screened against a set of criteria, and selected companies will present over three days to investors, experts, strategic partners, government entities and industry figures.

The Shark Tank Dubai judging panel will be Abdullah Al Ashram, chief executive of AMA Group; Mohammed Al Zaabi, chief executive of OBK Investment Group; Mona Ataya, chief executive and founder of Mumzworld; and Abdullah Abu Sheikh, founder of Mal. The foundation did not say how much investment would be on offer.

Abdulaziz Al Jaziri, the foundation's deputy chief executive, said The Pitch would go beyond live presentations, adding workshops and roundtables intended to improve collaboration across the start-up ecosystem. He said founders would pitch directly to investors, companies, government entities and strategic partners.

The Pitch is one of eight platforms at the event, alongside The Big Stage, The Prototype Floor, The Policy Room, The Challenge, Offstage, 500 Future Minds and The District. The programme also includes keynote speeches, panel discussions, competitions, exhibitions and closed-door meetings.