Dubai's Intelak Hub offers programme to support aviation and tourism start-ups

Dubai Tourism, Emirates Group, Accenture and Microsoft to provide mentorship to programme participants

Emirates Group, Dubai Tourism, Accenture and Microsoft have partnered with Intelak Hub to support start-ups in aviation, travel and tourism. Getty

Dubai's Intelak Hub – a regional platform offering aviation, travel and tourism start-ups access to entrepreneurship programmes and mentorship – is receiving new applications starting from June 13.

Local, regional and international early-to-late stage start-ups can apply for the 2021 programme, where they can opt to enter one of three tracks: an incubator, an accelerator or the Intelak Idea Lab aimed at developing young Emirati talent, according to a Dubai Tourism statement on Sunday.

Intelak Hub has partnered with Dubai Tourism, Emirates Group, Accenture and Microsoft to mentor the programme participants.

"We welcome applications from around the world and are excited at the prospect of engineering new ideas and aspirations to spur new growth and innovation across the industry," Yousuf Lootah, executive director of tourism development and investments at Dubai Tourism, said.

Dubai – already a global aviation hub and home to long-haul giant Emirates – is seeking to spur innovation, invest in technology, support start-ups and attract skilled talent.

The Intelak Hub is in its second year, after launching during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. It aims to develop start-ups at all stages of growth.

Applicants can be considered for all programmes and start-ups do not need to be based in Dubai in order to apply, according to the statement.  All programmes will have a hybrid structure consisting of in-person and digital components.

The UAE has one of the world's fastest vaccination programmes and Dubai has been among the first cities to restart international tourism after it reopened its borders in July 2020.

Over the past five years Intelak Hub, previously known as Intelak Incubator and Futurism Accelerator, has worked with programme participants from more than 20 countries. Since 2016, previous programme participants have been awarded Dh1.4 million in equity-free seed funding, according to the statement.