Startup funding in United Arab Emirates 2026
January to September 2026. Data as of 23 October 2026.
Release
Total
Startups in the United Arab Emirates raised $979M in 109 venture rounds from January to September 2026, 19th of 119 countries, according to FundingWatcher.
Without rounds of $100M or more
2 rounds of $100M or more hold 51.6% of that money. Without them, the United Arab Emirates raised $474M, 20th of 119 countries.
Largest round
The largest round was Cadena in Dubai: $275M, Series C, in June 2026.
Cities
Dubai startups raised $585M, 59.8% of the national total, ahead of Abu Dhabi with $386M.
Early stage
Pre-seed, seed, angel and Series A rounds under $100M: 102 rounds, $350M.
Source
Source: FundingWatcher, startup funding by country and city 2026, https://fundingwatcher.com/research/startup-funding-by-country-2026/
Cities
| City | Rounds | Total | Under $100M | Rounds of $100M+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | 82 | $585M | $310M | 1 |
| Abu Dhabi | 22 | $386M | $156M | 1 |
| Al Hamra' | 1 | $8M | $8M | 0 |
| Ras Al Khaimah | 1 | $30K | $30K | 0 |
| Sharjah | 3 | $0 | $0 | 0 |
Largest rounds
| Company | City | Round | Date | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadena | Dubai | Series C | 2026-06-08 | $275M |
| Mal | Abu Dhabi | seed | 2026-01-13 | $230M |
| Fasset | Dubai | Series C | 2026-08-24 | $68M |
| CNTXT | Abu Dhabi | Series A | 2026-06-16 | $60M |
| Stake | Dubai | Series B | 2026-02-17 | $31M |
| AICChain | Abu Dhabi | Series A | 2026-04-09 | $25M |
| Moment | Dubai | Series A | 2026-08-04 | $22M |
| TruDoc | Dubai | Series B | 2026-03-05 | $15M |
| Synapse Analytics | Abu Dhabi | Series A | 2026-09-14 | $13M |
| XLR8 Wellness | Dubai | Series A | 2026-01-01 | $12M |
Method
109 rounds in United Arab Emirates in the FundingWatcher startup file: companies whose most recent round is a named stage, pre-seed and angel through Series J, dated January to September 2026. One round per company, the latest. Debt, grants, corporate rounds, private equity and secondary sales are not counted. 82 of the 109 rounds carry an amount. Method and data files: startup funding by country and city, 2026.
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