Doers Summit expands to Dubai in new UAE–Cyprus innovation push
Dubai Silicon Oasis, part of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), has partnered with The Doers Company to host the first Middle East edition of its Doers Summit, aiming to connect startups, investors and innovators across regions.
The event, held annually in Athens and Limassol, has become one of Europe’s largest platforms for startups and venture capital, bringing together thousands of participants from Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The Dubai edition is expected to attract over 3,000 attendees, including hundreds of startups, to catalyse cross-border collaboration and improve access to capital.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by His Excellency Mohammed Al Zarooni, Executive Chairman of DIEZ, and Demetris Skourides, Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology of Cyprus.
The agreement was signed by Badr Buhannad, Deputy Director General of Dubai Silicon Oasis, alongside Stylianos Lambrou, co-founder of The Doers Company and Doers Summit, and Dusan Duffek, co-founder of The Doers Company and Managing Partner at Zero One Hundred venture capital fund, at DIEZ headquarters.
Buhannad said Dubai Silicon Oasis was envisioned as a smart and future-ready urban hub designed to foster innovation, talent and entrepreneurship.
He noted that hosting this renowned Summit in collaboration with The Doers Company at DSO reinforces their commitment to enabling knowledge-based industries and aligns with the objectives of Dubai’s Economic Agenda D33 to position Dubai among the top global cities for economic and digital leadership.
He added that the Doers Summit supports their mandate to attract future-focused ventures and build a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
He said that by connecting European and Middle Eastern innovators, they are accelerating cross-border collaboration and driving progress towards the UAE’s national goals of economic diversification, digital economy growth and global competitiveness.
Since its inception in 2018, the Doers Summit, formerly Reflect Festival, has facilitated hundreds of partnerships between founders, investors and corporations from three continents.
Lambrou said Limassol has always been a symbolic location bridging Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He noted that in recent years there has been growing momentum from the Middle East, with more venture capital funds, more founders and stronger support for innovation, and he said launching in Dubai was the natural next step.
Unlike traditional expos, the Doers Summit delivers an experience-led format designed to build meaningful, long-term business connections.
Based on the announcement, the event intentionally brings together founders, investors, creatives, corporates and policymakers in a dynamic and culturally rich environment.
It added that with a storytelling-driven agenda, curated matchmaking and a highly selected audience, the Summit prioritises venture building, knowledge exchange and cross-border collaboration.
The 2025 edition in Cyprus drew a record-breaking 10,000 attendees and over 250 speakers across five stages, highlighting its rapid growth and impact.
Duffek said they are excited to bring this momentum to Dubai. He noted that after eight years of building a vibrant ecosystem across Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, they are launching the Dubai edition with strong foundations and, even in its first year, it will deliver the scale, quality and connectivity needed to unite two of the world’s most innovative regions.
The Dubai edition will also include dedicated zones for informal networking, side events and curated programming.
According to the announcement, purpose-built lounges and community areas will foster interaction in smaller groups, encouraging collaboration in a relaxed and high-impact setting.