Flat6Labs, the Abu Dhabi-backed tech incubator, announced a raft of names for this year’s advisory board on Sunday.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Nahyan, the chairman of Dhabi Holdings; Salem Al Noaimi, the chief executive of Waha Capital; and Adib Mattar, Mubadala’s private equity chief, join a council that also includes Maryam Al Mheiri, twofour54’s acting chief executive.
Khuloud Hasan Al Nowais, the chief strategy and sustainability officer at Emirates Foundation, and Todd Ruppert, a venture capitalist, will also be on the board.
Flat6Labs runs two incubation sessions each year, in which a slate of tech firms receive funding and expertise to help develop their ideas. Twofour54, which is Abu Dhabi’s free zone for media and entertainment, is the incubator’s main backer.
In Abu Dhabi, "the future is dependent on private sector business and [Flat6] is the most tangible example of how that is becoming a reality", Greg Sweeting, the chief legal officer of twofour54, told The National this year. "It is for the growth of the general economic system of this emirate and the country."
Ms Al Mheiri said: “There is a growing interest in entrepreneurship across the region for its appeal that provides creative individuals with the opportunity to make an impact in society, the freedom and autonomy to be in charge of their careers, as well as its impact on national economies.”
Last year was the UAE’s Year of Innovation, in which tech firms were promoted in a bid to help the country diversify its economy and reduce dependence on oil.
“The newly formed advisory council will enable Flat6Labs Abu Dhabi to identify best-in-class approaches for the expansion of the network and drive growth within the overall ecosystem,” said Ramez Mohamed, the Flat6Labs chief executive.
“We are confident that the wealth of expertise each member of the advisory council brings will allow for a leap forward in the development of Flat6Labs Abu Dhabi and its ability to cultivate an innovation support programme in the UAE.”
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