Dubai Future District Fund's 2024 Success and 2025 Vision

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Photo: Dubai Government Media Office 

The Dubai Future District Fund (DFDF), supported by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), held its Annual General Meeting to share its achievements from 2024 and plans for 2025. The Fund had a big year, growing strategically and working closely with Dubai’s economic goals. They also talked about their new focus for 2025, which is called the Year of the Community in the UAE.

Since 2024 was named the Year of Sustainability in the UAE, DFDF highlighted its strong commitment to creating lasting value, supporting smart and responsible innovation, and investing with the community in mind. Throughout the year, DFDF built stronger partnerships with founders, investors, and others working on real-world problems. This shows that DFDF is not just about providing money but also about helping build a strong innovation system.

2024: A Year of Important Achievements

The Fund’s Board of Directors shared some key successes, including:

• Supporting over 190 companies in its portfolio through direct investments and 12 Fund of Funds projects.

• Helping raise more than $1.65 billion by the funds they support by the end of 2024.

• Aligning more closely with Dubai’s Economic Agenda (D33), which helps boost technology, talent, and venture capital in the region.

His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, Chairman of DFDF and CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, said, “These achievements show the important role that DFDF plays in growing Dubai’s digital economy—a future that depends on innovation and new technologies across key sectors.”

More Than Just Money

In 2024, DFDF went beyond just investing money. They showed how venture capital can connect public and private groups to create scalable innovation. The Fund worked with key institutions to publish stories about the value they create. This includes partnerships with Dubai Land Department and Dubai Health, which focus on using startups to meet government goals. DFDF also tested projects with companies like Nestlé and AWS to explore how technology can help businesses grow.

These efforts show DFDF’s goal to turn investment into real impact, not only making financial gains but also improving operations, offering strategic ideas, and increasing innovation for many groups involved in Dubai’s future economy.

Looking Forward to 2025

With the UAE declaring 2025 the Year of the Community, DFDF is ready to build stronger connections in the innovation world. This means linking founders with funders, startups with regulators, and local markets with global ones.

Arif Amiri, a DFDF Board Member and CEO of DIFC Authority, said, “Innovation doesn’t happen alone—it grows best in communities that are open and connected. As DFDF leads Dubai to be a global leader in innovation, we are dedicated to working closely with global partners to drive economic growth.”

For 2025, DFDF will focus on increasing investments, especially in funds and co-investments that support the innovation community and economic strength. They also plan to host events that bring together founders, investors, business leaders, and government officials to grow together.

Nader Albastaki, Managing Director at DFDF, added, “2024 was an important year where our goals matched our results. We grew our investments, supported Dubai’s strategies, and helped innovators make real changes. Now, in 2025—the Year of the Community—we look forward to working closer together, building a strong innovation community, and making Dubai a world capital for innovation and opportunity.”