Dubai: Dubai Silicon Oasis, a specialised economic zone for knowledge and innovation, part of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), has signed an agreement with The Doers Company to host the first Middle East edition of its Doers Summit. This event, formerly known as Reflect Festival, is one of Europe's prominent startup and tech gatherings.
According to Emirates News Agency, the Doers Summit is held annually in Athens and Limassol, attracting thousands of attendees. It serves as a major platform in Europe, bringing together innovative startups, venture capital funds, investors, and enterprises from Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The Dubai edition is set to connect more than 3,000 participants, including hundreds of startups with venture capital funds and ecosystem leaders, to foster cross-border collaboration and facilitate access to capital.
The signing of the agreement was attended by Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Executive Chairman of DIEZ, and Demetris Skourides, Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology at the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. The agreement was signed by Badr Buhannad, Deputy Director General of Dubai Silicon Oasis, alongside Stylianos Lambrou, co-founder of The Doers Company and Doers Summit, and Du€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡an Duffek, co-founder of The Doers Company and Managing Partner at Zero One Hundred venture capital fund, at DIEZ headquarters.
Badr Buhannad remarked that Dubai Silicon Oasis was designed as a smart and future-ready urban hub aimed at fostering innovation, talent, and entrepreneurship. Hosting the Summit aligns with Dubai's Economic Agenda D33, which seeks to position Dubai among the top global cities for economic and digital leadership.
Stylianos Lambrou noted that the Doers Summit has been pivotal in facilitating hundreds of partnerships since its inception in 2018. The event bridges Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and launching in Dubai was a natural progression due to the region's growing venture capital and innovation support.
The Doers Summit distinguishes itself with an experience-led format that fosters long-term business connections. With a storytelling-driven agenda and curated matchmaking, the event focuses on venture building, knowledge exchange, and cross-border collaboration.
The 2025 edition in Cyprus saw a record-breaking 10,000 attendees and over 250 speakers across five stages. Du€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡an Duffek expressed excitement about bringing this momentum to Dubai, emphasizing the summit's role in uniting two of the world's most innovative regions.
The Dubai edition will include dedicated zones for informal networking, side events, and curated programming to encourage collaboration in a relaxed setting.