The Beginning: A Dream in the City of Vision
It all started with an idea, A dream sketched on the back of a coffee napkin somewhere between Al Reem Island sunsets and endless “what if” conversations. Like every entrepreneur who lands in Abu Dhabi, I was drawn to the promise of growth, innovation and opportunity.
Abu Dhabi’s ADGM is a leading free zone in the UAE, offering full foreign ownership, tax exemptions and streamlined business setup. The region’s free zones, including those in Dubai, attract startups and investors by providing access to international markets, strategic locations and focus on specific industries and priority sectors.
But what they don’t tell you is this — dreams are beautiful until the deadlines arrive.
Abu Dhabi has the charm of calmness, but behind that calm is a city that moves fast — especially in ADGM, where startups are built on ambition, long hours and caffeine.
The First Crash: When Passion Meets Business Plan Paperwork
Setting up a company in ADGM felt like entering a new world — the business setup and company setup process involved navigating laws, getting a trade license to operate legally, preparing documents and building financial models. Understanding ownership structure, including the benefits of full foreign ownership in a free zone was crucial for control and investment. I also had to consider market access, develop a solid business plan and seek expertise to ensure compliance and success.
I questioned everything — Is this worth it? Am I even ready?
And that’s when I first walked into Sky Hub.
It wasn’t just a coworking space. It was a place that felt like a community — a mix of tech founders, designers, freelancers and investors sharing the same air of hope and hunger. Someone at the front desk said, “Welcome to Sky Hub, your dream’s new address.” That line stuck with me.
The Grind: Late Nights and Little Wins
Days blurred into nights. Coffee cups became milestones.
Sky Hub wasn’t just a coworking space. It is one of the leading coworking spaces and coworking hubs in Abu Dhabi, offering modern office space and office spaces for entrepreneurs from different industries. The vibrant life at Sky Hub is shaped by so many startups, innovation hubs and strategic partners collaborating under one roof. At Sky Hub, I met people who spoke my language — the language of deadlines, failed prototypes and unstoppable optimism.
There’s something about working beside others chasing the same madness. You stop feeling alone. Every “back to the drawing board” moment becomes easier when someone two desks away says, “Been there, you’ll figure it out.”
That’s the real Abu Dhabi startup culture — collaboration over competition.
The Breakthrough: Where Ideas Turn into Impact in the Global Tech Ecosystem
Months later, that idea scribbled on paper turned into an actual product — an MVP that worked. An investor I met during a Sky Hub networking night became our first backer.
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and other free zones in the UAE, such as Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Silicon Oasis, provide startups with direct access to angel investors, venture capital and global investors, making it easier to raise capital and accelerate new ventures. These free zones support visionary founders, Emirati founders and businesses from diverse sectors and industries, including clean energy, manufacturing, technology, finance, digital banking and artificial intelligence. Over the past few years, there has been growing interest in the region, with a strong focus on priority sectors and the ability for startups to expand, scale globally and access both the UAE market and international markets. Free zones and innovation hubs like Masdar City and DIFC FinTech Hive offer significant benefits, such as full control, 100% ownership, corporate tax and personal income tax advantages and strategic market access. The ecosystem also emphasizes the importance of marketing, building strong partners and the development of smart cities, all of which are shaping the future of the Middle East startup landscape.
That’s when I realized: dreams grow faster in the right ecosystem.
Sky Hub wasn’t just a place to rent a desk; it was a launchpad — where startups find direction, mentors and even their next big investor pitch.
The Lesson: You Don’t Build Alone
Building a startup in Abu Dhabi isn’t just about scaling a business — it’s about surviving your own doubts, learning from your community and showing up every single day even when things fall apart.
At Sky Hub, I learned that the secret isn’t working harder — it’s working surrounded by people who believe in your dream as much as you do. So yes, dreams meet deadlines. Not the end of the story.
The beginning.