du CCO Karim Benkirane on redefining infrastructure for UAE’s next generation of entrepreneurs
The telco giant’s chief commercial officer reveals how du Business is closing the gap between entrepreneurial vision and accessible digital tools—positioning connectivity as the foundation for the UAE’s rise as a startup capital
23 June, 2026
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In a nation built on entrepreneurial ambition, a critical gap persists. Thousands of founders across Dubai are writing the next chapter of the UAE’s economic story, yet many are doing so from coworking desks on consumer SIM cards, without the professional infrastructure their businesses deserve.
Karim Benkirane, chief commercial officer of du, sees this disconnect not as a market failure but as an opportunity. In a wide-ranging conversation with Gulf Business, Benkirane articulates a bold vision: repositioning du from a traditional telecom provider into an economic growth partner designed specifically for the SME ecosystem. The strategy centres on a deceptively simple principle, that simplification, not complexity, is the ultimate competitive advantage for small businesses navigating an increasingly digital and regulated landscape.
From purpose-built mobile plans and the launch of du Launchpad (the UAE’s first telco-led, AI-powered super platform for SME growth) to strategic partnerships with Dubai SME and Dubai Founders HQ, du is betting that infrastructure and accessibility, not just innovation, will determine which entrepreneurs succeed. As the UAE projects business registrations will nearly double to two million by 2031, du’s ambition is clear: ensure that connectivity, complexity, and cost are never the reasons to stop its growing operations.
Read: du CEO Fahad Al Hassawi showcases its AI, 5.5G leadership
How is du directly supporting SMEs in Dubai as they look to scale and compete in a more digital-first economy?
When you consider what the UAE has built in a matter of decades, it becomes clear that the entrepreneurial spirit is central to its story. At du, we feel both the privilege and the responsibility of serving the businesses that are writing the next chapter of that story. What strikes me, in every conversation I have with an entrepreneur in this country, is the gap between that ambition and the tools available to them.
Closing that gap is what du, through du Business’s services and solutions portfolio, is here to do. Our approach centres on four pillars that reflect the breadth of what a growing business needs today: purpose-built mobile plans for entrepreneurs, a seamless digital experience, an integrated service ecosystem, and a beyond-telco commitment to digital transformation.
We have positioned du Business as an economic growth partner and in practical terms, that starts with access. We are actively working to reduce the complexity of how businesses access our services by streamlining processes and removing documentation barriers that usually make business-grade connectivity feel out of reach for freelancers and solopreneurs. We will also soon be rolling out launching coworking platforms that allow entrepreneurs to work from anywhere as an acknowledgement that the modern business does not always come with a fixed address.
There is also something else worth noting about this moment. 2026 is the UAE’s Year of Family, and when I look at the businesses we are serving, so many of them are family stories. A husband and wife building something together; a son carrying forward his father’s vision, or a family pooling everything they have into a single idea. The ecosystem we are building at du Business is for every family that has decided to build something of their own.
How does du view its partnership with initiatives like Dubai SME and Dubai Founders HQ in shaping a more unified startup and SME ecosystem?
What distinguishes Dubai from almost any other business environment in the world is the quality of collaboration between government and the private sector. There is a shared understanding here that vision must be supported by infrastructure, ecosystems and genuine partnership. SME in a Box is a compelling expression of that.
We are the first telecom provider to join that ecosystem alongside the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Dubai SME. Through our partnership with Dubai SME, we are connecting businesses to mentorship programmes, funding opportunities, AI solutions and structured business support workshops.
Our partnership with Dubai Founders HQ (DFHQ) is also one I am particularly proud of. As one of five corporate partners in DFHQ’s inaugural accelerator programme, du Business worked directly alongside 23 startups to pilot solutions addressing real business challenges. The programme generated 36 proof-of-concept opportunities, and what would typically take 12 months to develop was compressed into three. That is a demonstration of what becomes possible when government, corporates and startups align around a shared objective. DFHQ is building a new model for how innovation translates into commercial reality, and du Business is committed to being at the heart of it.
SMEs often struggle with cost and complexity when adopting new technologies. What practical solutions is du offering to make digital transformation more accessible?
Our research surfaces a finding that cuts to the heart of this challenge: compliance-related tasks consume over 30 per cent of a business owner’s productive time. That is a significant portion of a founder’s capacity directed away from growth and toward administration. When you layer on the complexity of navigating digital tools, AI platforms, security requirements and financial services simultaneously, it becomes clear that the greatest service we can offer is meaningful simplification.
We recently launched a new suite of solutions purpose-built for SMEs: 90 days of commitment-free access with free cancellation, a 70 per cent discount on the first three months of selected fixed plans, and the flexibility to customise mobile plan benefits by choosing between additional local minutes or national data. These incentives are part of our understanding that flexibility is fundamental to how small businesses operate, and that growth should never be constrained by the wrong connectivity commitment.
The more significant step is du Launchpad, the UAE’s first telco-led, AI-powered super platform for SME growth, developed in partnership with Peko. With du Launchpad, we have an all-in-one platform that helps SMEs save time by reducing complexity and strengthening compliance. It consolidates accounting solutions, HRMS and payroll management, corporate tax filing, WhatsApp Business integration and professional invoicing into one place, powered by AI workflows that reduce manual effort and keep day-to-day operations seamless.
What are the biggest connectivity or digital infrastructure challenges SMEs still face today, and how are you addressing them?
The truth is approximately 75 per cent of entrepreneurs in the UAE are operating on consumer plans because business-grade connectivity was never presented to them in a way that felt accessible. These are substantive businesses contributing meaningfully to the UAE economy, yet operating without the professional infrastructure their work demands: without Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) to establish a credible business identity or the administrative controls necessary to manage a growing team.
Around 80 per cent of entrepreneurs operate from co-working environments or public spaces, making mobile connectivity the primary infrastructure and raising genuine security concerns. Somewhere in Dubai right now, someone is building the next great business from a co-working desk, on a consumer SIM card, using a personal bank account. They deserve better infrastructure than that. And we intend to provide it. Our Secure MiFi solution and business-grade mobile plans are built precisely for those conditions.
The rapidly evolving regulatory environment presents another dimension entirely. Corporate tax, CNAP compliance, and Emiratisation obligations are reshaping the landscape for smaller businesses at pace. Our digital onboarding tools are designed to help businesses navigate that transition with confidence. Also, the appetite for AI across the SME community is growing, and for meaningful adoption to happen, there needs to be structured, practical guidance.
What will a “fully digitally enabled SME” in the UAE look like, and what role will du play in getting them there?
Registered businesses in the UAE are projected to grow from 1.2 million today to two million by 2031, underpinned by this country’s stated ambition to become the startup capital of the world. When you consider the policy environment, the infrastructure investment and the quality of public-private collaboration that supports that ambition, it is not difficult to believe it will be realised.
The fully digitally enabled SME of the future will be defined by the quality of its access to infrastructure, expertise and support that have historically been available only to much larger organisations. Our B2B Portal is one expression of that: a single destination for all telecoms and device requirements, designed to eliminate the fragmentation that costs small businesses so much time and energy.
From idea to empire, this is the journey we are committed to enabling. Our ambition is for du Business to be the platform that takes a company from its earliest concept to meaningful growth, and to be a genuine part of the success story of every enterprise that builds its future here in the UAE.
But I want to end with something larger than du. The UAE is building something genuinely historic: a nation that has decided entrepreneurship is not just an economic policy but a cultural value. Every business that starts here and succeeds adds to that story. Our role is to make sure the infrastructure is never the reason that story does not get told.
