Dubai Internet City and Skolkovo Foundation enter strategic partnership to foster innovation during world’s largest tech event

Dubai, UAE, 15 October 2025: Dubai Internet City, the Middle East’s leading technology hub and part of TECOM Group PJSC, has entered a strategic partnership to foster innovation and facilitate knowledge exchange with The Skolkovo Foundation (part of VEB.RF Group).

The partnership outlines a roadmap for collaboratively unlocking new cooperation avenues and market expansion for innovative tech companies and start-ups. Aligned with Dubai Internet City’s goal of strengthening the digital economy, the agreement was signed during GITEX Global, taking place in Dubai on 13-17 October 2025.

“Our partnership with the Skolkovo Foundation reaffirms Dubai Internet City’s commitment to fostering an innovation ecosystem that strengthens the global digital economy,” said Ammar Al Malik, Executive Vice President of Commercial at TECOM Group and Managing Director of Dubai Internet City. “Skolkovo Foundation’s ecosystem is home to a pool of emerging, tech-savvy talent, and through this initiative, we look forward to nurturing collaborations with such innovators. The partnership will create unparalleled opportunities for technology companies and start-ups, driving long-term economic growth and technological advancement. Aligned with Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’, Dubai Internet City’s vibrant ecosystem will continue to promote such cross-border collaboration and support the growth of innovative businesses from around the world.”

"Our partnership with Dubai Internet City opens up tangible opportunities for Skolkovo's innovative companies to enter the Middle East market – from practical support in launching pilot projects to building sustainable export channels,” said Timur Kornilov, Managing Director for Strategic International Partnership, Knowledge and Technology Transfer at the Skolkovo Foundation. “We are creating a clear and comfortable soft-landing track for our residents: guidance through legal and operational procedures, fast-track access to the region's infrastructure and business environment.

“For Skolkovo, this is also a pathway for bilateral exchange of technologies, knowledge, and entrepreneurial practices, which will enrich both ecosystems. I am confident that our joint work will deliver significant value to resident companies and create mutually beneficial high-tech cases in the very near future.”

Digital economy development

Skolkovo Foundation’s ecosystem has united more than 5,000 participating companies for more than 15 years. This partnership delivers a range of benefits to its members seeking international expansion, including collaboration opportunities within Dubai Internet City’s ecosystem, which has added AED 100 billion to Dubai’s GDP over the past 15 years and contributes towards 65% of Dubai’s tech GDP. Dubai Internet City is home to 4,000 multinational corporations, innovative start-ups, and Fortune 500 companies such as PayPal, Nvidia, and Oracle, in addition to more than 31,000 skilled professionals and 20+ R&D and Innovation centres.

The partnership also aims to foster growth for start-ups and technology companies through international engagements including site visits, curated business meetings, workshops, and events. Skolkovo Foundation’s delegations will have access to prominent global events such as GITEX Global and Expand North Star as well as Step Dubai, hosted at Dubai Internet City each year, through the partnership. Dubai Internet City, which has organised 800+ talent development events reaching 73,000+ people since 2021, will also explore opportunities at events such as Startup Village, a uniting platform for innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, tech giants, and futurologists since 2013, to solidify new market opportunities for its community of innovators.

As part of the partnership, both sides will also seek to identify potential pilot projects and proofs of concept (PoCs) to accelerate the development of innovative products and solutions.

Skolkovo Foundation aims to nurture economic diversification by creating a sustainable ecosystem for entrepreneurship and innovation, encouraging venture capital investment in key growth sectors such as energy efficiency and biomedicine. Dubai Internet City signed the strategic partnership with Skolkovo Foundation during GITEX Global, the world’s largest technology event where the district is participating as Knowledge Partner.

Among the region’s first hubs of its kind, Dubai Internet City has facilitated more than 125,000 direct and indirect technology jobs since its inception.

Dubai Internet City is part of TECOM Group’s portfolio of sector-specific business districts, which also includes Dubai Science Park, Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Design District (d3), and Dubai Industrial City.