Aalia Mehreen Ahmed

Insights from the Sustainability Innovation Forum 2026.

With the 13th edition of the Middle East Film and Comic Con set to take place this month, Show Director Loy Pinheiro reflects on what it has taken to build the region’s largest pop culture festival (and why the event may not be far from hosting its own version of SDCC’s iconic Hall H someday).

“Our vision for OBEGI Home was always to create a design destination that is a source of inspiration for homeowners and professionals alike."

For the first time in the 11 years since Emirati Women’s Day was first celebrated, the annual event will span an entire month in 2026. This year’s theme —“Together, We Rise Stronger and Better”— puts the spotlight on the lasting partnerships and workplace policies that support and empower women in both their personal and professional lives. Four Emirati business leaders unpack how these elements go beyond the annual event to create a gender equity blueprint that has bolstered the UAE’s growth and innovation.

An innate love for filmmaking and creating impact-oriented art led Rouhana El Hage to the US$252+ billion creator economy and, later, into MENA-based creator collaboration tech platform, Halo AI. Having been promoted as the firm’s Associate Partner, El Hage shares why content creators (especially micro creators) hold the power to create meaningful change across audiences.

As Emiratization requirements become more stringent, how can employers balance compliance with meaningful talent development, fair hiring practices, and inclusive workplaces? Six UAE-based industry leaders and HR experts share their insights.

Alwan also noted that resilience is not simply the ability to withstand challenges, but ability to continue creating value.

“While e& will remain a meaningful shareholder and close strategic partner, this move brings Careem and Uber back into a closer, deeply familiar alignment,” Mudassir Sheikha, co-founder and CEO of Careem, said.

Margueritte also emphasized upon how France and the UAE continue to strengthen a long-standing strategic partnership built on trust, investment, innovation, and a shared ambition for long-term transformation and sustainable growth.

'Turbulence' is an unadulterated deep dive into how faith and feminism intersect in the lives of Muslim women, and the complexities that arise when both are defined from a cultural lens. But beyond Lodi’s writing prowess lies an honest tale of what it takes to choose to become a creative entrepreneur.

As businesses across the Middle East navigate the economic aftershocks of regional uncertainties, the stories of these UAE-based small business founders reflect a quiet shift within the nation: resilience is no longer a reactive measure, but built into the core of how businesses are designed and scaled.

Beyond lean operational models that protect margins, RAKEZ has been able to unlock another core fact: reducing operational risk has become equally central to the equation.

Reda Nidhakou, CEO of Abu Dhabi-based venture builder VentureOne, says the deep technology solutions that will stand the test of time are not necessarily those built on novelty and perfection, but something much simpler.

Zein Zone’s Zaina Kourki and GAIA Culture’s Patricia Paulina Karrer are reshaping artist financing with an art–tech–finance model that enables emerging regional talent to build long-term brand value.

Within just the first two months of its launch, BrainScroller recorded around 1,500 installs across 40+ countries, alongside strong retention, frequent daily usage, and largely five-star user reviews indicating high early engagement.

“The regional escalations made World Monitor visible, not useful,” says the CEO behind Anghami, the MENA region’s first Nasdaq-listed music streaming platform, who is now helping millions understand major global developments in real time.

“For me, launching a business isn’t just about commercial success or money. It’s about taking that step, overcoming fear, and unlocking a new mindset."

"Across all my businesses, my vision is simple: build sustainable platforms that serve people, create opportunities, and give back more than they take.”

"With our AI gamified solution, we make every trivia experience a personalized journey, making learning fun and interactive."

“This is a UAE-born innovation addressing a gap that exists globally: wellness tools have largely ignored the spiritual foundations that guide daily life for so many, both here and around the world."

“Whenever people dine at Spice Grill, we make it our mission to make them feel welcome, as if they are eating in their families’ homes."

“I look for businesses that can take advantage of our expansive geographic and technical capacity!”

“At its core, Ithara.ae is a marketplace; we connect customers who are looking for high-quality experiences, either for themselves or as a gift, with experience providers across the UAE.”

The husband-and-wife duo have built two well-established, UAE-born Korean brands. But as they operate in a world increasingly influenced by K-culture trends, they reflect on the added weight that comes with being flagbearers of their homeland across two major industries (and why simply branding something as “Korean” can sometimes do more harm than good).

With sustainability considerations no longer limited to corporate policies, disclosures, or annual reports, ESG-aligned infrastructure is becoming a deciding factor for investors.

As businesses race to keep up with algorithms, saturated markets, and dwindling attention spans, four creative entrepreneurs reflect on how staying rooted in identity, morals, and community has helped them grow without losing authenticity (and why that may be the most scalable strategy of all).

More than 300 global and regional speakers offered 250 talks, workshops, and experiential sessions.

“One of the biggest trust challenges in traditional models is the distance between buyer and the true owner of the car. By ensuring every listing on Carabia comes directly from a verified private owner, we remove that opacity.”

As the CEO of the Emirates Literature Foundation, Ahlam Bolooki has shaped the organisation into a reliable haven for reading, writing, and cultural exchange. Ahead of the 18th edition of the Foundation’s flagship Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, she discusses nurturing local writers, championing translation, safeguarding human creativity in the age of AI, and building a community where stories connect generations and cultures.

Insights from a 1 Billion Followers Summit 2026 panel.