Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy will introduce five new features at Expand North Star 2025, the world’s biggest gathering for startups and investors, which will mark its 10th anniversary from October 12-15 at Dubai Harbour.

The event, organised by Dubai World Trade Centre and hosted by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, will launch ScaleX, the Consumer Tech Zone, North Star Green Impact, the Deeptech MEA Summit and the Digital Assets Forum.

ScaleX will spotlight 100 fast-growing tech companies and connect them with partners and investors to support expansion into the Middle East and beyond.

The Consumer Tech Zone will showcase startups in areas such as AR/VR, smart health devices and lifestyle technology.

North Star Green Impact will highlight startups working in clean energy, water tech, sustainable mobility and the circular economy, reflecting rising climate-tech investment in the Middle East and North Africa, which grew 40 per cent in 2023.

The Deeptech MEA Summit will focus on artificial intelligence, quantum computing and robotics, while the Digital Assets Forum will bring together global experts to discuss digital currencies, tokenised assets and risk management in the financial sector.

Programmes returning to Expand North Star

Signature programmes returning this year include the Supernova Challenge 2.0, with a $200,000 prize pool, the Corporate Arena for enterprise-startup collaboration, and the Tech Transfer Innovation Forum.

Youth-focused platforms such as YouthX Unipreneur and Emaratipreneur will also continue.

Expand North Star, which first launched in 2015, is part of Dubai’s strategy under the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) to establish the city as a global hub for innovation and technology.

The Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) reported record trade of Dhs336bn ($91.5bn) across its three zones in 2024, a 19 per cent increase from the previous year.

The growth lifted DIEZ’s contribution to Dubai’s non-oil trade to 13.7 per cent, its highest on record, marking the fourth consecutive year of expansion.

Trade volumes rose 28 per cent to 444,300 tonnes compared with 346,700 tonnes in 2023.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, said DIEZ’s results underscored the emirate’s ability to “innovate, unlock new avenues for growth and transform challenges into opportunities.”

Sheikh Hamdan added the performance supported the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double the city’s economy and position it among the world’s top three urban economies by 2033.

DIEZ oversees three free zones

DIEZ oversees the Dubai Airport Free Zone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and Dubai CommerCity.

Growth was driven by stronger flows of goods and services and deeper ties with global markets, the authority said.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of DIEZ, said the results highlighted Dubai’s appeal as a “preferred choice for international companies and investors,” while executive chairman Mohammed Al Zarooni said the performance provided “strong motivation to pursue even greater accomplishments year after year.”

Machinery, electrical and electronics accounted for about 72 per cent of DIEZ’s total trade, rising 17 per cent, while precious stones, metals and jewellery grew 33 per cent, representing around 22 per cent.

Together, the two sectors made up 94 per cent of trade activity.

The authority said its resilience was underpinned by advanced infrastructure, integrated operations across its zones, and supply chain solutions that reinforced its role in Dubai’s non-oil trade and global competitiveness.

National Industries Park (NIP), DP World’s industrial hub in Dubai, has secured more than Dhs1bn ($272m) in new projects so far this year.

Between January and September, NIP leased over 7 million square feet of land, mostly for greenfield projects that will add new manufacturing capacity.

The expansion has pushed its tenant base past 400 companies, supporting more than 24,700 jobs.

New additions to National Industries Park

New customers in 2025 include Danube Building Materials, LT Foods Middle East and Trilogy Fab Trailers Manufacturing. The investments build on a strong 2024, when customer registrations nearly doubled year-on-year.

“Nationwide value added in manufacturing is projected at Dhs60bn in 2025, with output rising steadily under supportive industrial agendas,” said Abdulla Al Hashmi, COO, Parks & Zones, DP World GCC. “NIP’s performance highlights Dubai’s position as a hub for advanced manufacturing and the strong flow of greenfield projects demonstrates investor confidence in our ability to help businesses scale quickly, creating jobs and driving industrial growth.”

Demand is being driven by construction, automotive, electronics and food manufacturing, as companies expand to serve Dubai’s growing population and large-scale infrastructure projects.

NIP is strengthening its customer services with upgraded digital systems, a refreshed brand identity and targeted regional outreach.

According to a 2023 Ernst & Young study, the park contributed 17 per cent of Dubai’s industrial output.

DP World flagship asset

With new facilities set to go online, it is expected to generate more indirect jobs and accelerate manufacturing growth across the UAE.

NIP is one of DP World’s flagship assets alongside Jebel Ali Port and Jebel Ali Free Zone. Canada’s CDPQ and Saudi Arabia’s Hassana Investment Company hold equity stakes in the three assets.

Read: DP World invests $2.5bn in logistics, creating 5,000 jobs in 2025

The UAE Ministry of Finance has signed a multilateral competent authority agreement on the automatic exchange of information under the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), reinforcing its commitment to global tax transparency.

The UAE announced in November last year its intention to implement the framework.

CARF implementation in the country is scheduled to go live in 2027, with the first exchanges of information expected in 2028.

The framework sets out a mechanism for the automatic exchange of tax-related information on crypto-asset activities, aimed at providing certainty and clarity to the sector while aligning with international transparency standards.

Public consultation on crypto-asset reporting

The ministry also invited stakeholders including advisory service providers, intermediaries, traders, custodians, and exchange platforms to participate in a public consultation on CARF implementation in the UAE.

The consultation, which opened on September 15, will remain open for eight weeks until November 8, 2025.

According to the ministry, the consultation is designed to inform clear and effective regulatory rules by incorporating expert and market feedback.

The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) in has issued a comprehensive five-day forecast spanning Saturday, September 20, to Wednesday, September 24, 2025, predicting humid mornings with chances of fog, fair to partly cloudy skies, convective cloud formation, and dusty winds across various regions of the UAE. The update was released via a WAM report, outlining the meteorological trends expected to influence the country during this period.

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According to the NCM, weather conditions will be shaped by a combination of weak surface pressure systems and an extension of upper air high pressure, which are expected to dominate regional atmospheric patterns throughout the forecast period.

Saturday, Sept 20: Partly cloudy with rising humidity

On Saturday, the UAE saw fair to partly cloudy skies, with cloud development in eastern areas during the afternoon.

The humidity built overnight and into Sunday morning, particularly over coastal and inland areas, where fog or mist formation is likely.

Winds will be light to moderate, occasionally freshening during the day and stirring up blowing dust. Wind speeds are expected to range between 10–25 km/hr, peaking at 40 km/hr, blowing southeast to northeast.

Temperature range:

• Coastal and islands: Highs of 37–41°C, lows of 27–31°C, with humidity levels between 70–90 per cent
• Internal areas: Highs of 42–45°C, lows of 25–29°C, with humidity between 60–80 per cent
• Mountains: Highs of 28–33°C, lows of 22–26°C, humidity 65–85 per cent

Sunday, Sept 21: Continued cloud build-up and humid nights

Conditions on Sunday will remain fair to partly cloudy, with a continued chance of convective cloud formation in the east, possibly bringing rainfall during the afternoon.

Humidity levels will increase again overnight and into Monday morning, making fog or mist a possibility across the interior and coastal regions.

Winds will blow southeast to northeast at 10–25 km/hr, reaching up to 40 km/hr, and may cause occasional blowing dust. Both the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea are expected to remain slight in sea state.

Monday, Sept 22: Fog potential continues

Monday’s forecast indicates partly cloudy skies with cloud buildup in eastern areas expected during the afternoon. Humidity will persist overnight and into early morning, increasing the possibility of fog or mist, particularly inland.

Winds will blow from the southeast to northeast at 10–25 km/hr, occasionally reaching 35 km/h. The Arabian Gulf may experience slight to moderate seas, while the Oman Sea will remain slight.

Tuesday, Sept 23: Temperature dip expected

The weather on Tuesday will remain fair to partly cloudy, with a slight and gradual drop in temperatures. Humidity will rise overnight into Wednesday morning, particularly inland, continuing the trend of fog or mist risk.

Winds will shift to southwesterly to northwesterly, blowing at 10–25 km/hr, with gusts reaching 40 km/h. Seas will be slight to moderate in the Arabian Gulf, while the Oman Sea will continue to see slight conditions.

Wednesday, Sept 24: Rough seas and dusty winds

On Wednesday, skies will remain fair to partly cloudy, with low clouds forming over northern and eastern regions. Winds will turn northwesterly, blowing at 10–25 km/hr, with gusts up to 40 km/hr, potentially raising dust in exposed areas.

Maritime conditions will become more volatile, with the Arabian Gulf experiencing moderate to rough seas, while the Oman Sea will range between slight to moderate.