The Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) recorded an occupancy rate exceeding 96% across its three zones – Dubai Airport Freezone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and Dubai CommerCity – in the first half of 2026, as the number of companies grew 13% year-on-year and employment expanded by 24%.
The authority's venture capital arm, Oraseya Capital, ranked as the UAE's most active investor by deal count for the third consecutive year, deploying capital into 15 startups during the period – a 25% increase on H1 2025 – while its Dtec technology campus saw AI-focused company registrations surge 95%.
DIEZ also advanced two major development projects within Dubai Silicon Oasis: District IO, a future-technology infrastructure hub backed by AED 11 billion in investment, and Block 14, an AED 1.8 billion mixed-use business and residential community adjacent to the planned Dubai Metro Blue Line, with its first phase targeted for completion in 2029. The results position DIEZ as a key pillar of Dubai's D33 economic agenda and its ambition to rank among the world's top three urban economies.
Gulf Economist Staff Writer