Dubai Culture announces winners of the Al Quoz Creative Entrepreneurship Competition

AED 160,000 in prizes awarded to creative entrepreneurs advancing Dubai’s cultural industries

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 7 November 2025: The third edition of the Al Quoz Creative Entrepreneurship Forum, organised by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), concluded with notable success, underscoring the dynamism of the emirate’s creative economy and its expanding role in driving innovation and opportunity across the cultural sector. 

The two-day event at Al Khayat Avenue brought together a distinguished group of entrepreneurs, thought leaders, investors, and creatives for a rich programme of workshops, panel discussions, and networking activities designed to connect entrepreneurs with industry experts and help transform creative ideas into viable ventures. 

As the forum drew to a close, Dubai Culture announced the winners of the Al Quoz Creative Entrepreneurship Competition, which supports start-ups and encourages innovative ideas that enrich Dubai’s cultural and creative industries (CCIs). Hamad Khoory, founder of Bedaoius, a digital gaming company inspired by local heritage, claimed first place and AED 80,000. Sofia Khmelidze, founder of ArtDep, which organises cultural experiences and art events, secured second place and AED 50,000. Nizar Ahmadi, founder and CEO of MADE, a UAE platform connecting creative talent with industry opportunities, took third place and AED 30,000.

The competition attracted a high calibre of applicants, from which seven promising start-ups shortlisted to pitch before the judging panel comprising Ahmad AlFahim, Director of Strategy and Corporate Excellence, Dubai Sports Council; Neha Kaura, Senior Manager of Strategy & M&A AW Rostamani; Fatima Ahmad, VP of Business Partnerships, Mohammed bin Rashid Innovation Fund; and John Shelley, Co-Founder, Rite. Entries were evaluated based on innovation, creativity, market viability, sustainability, and social impact. Judges considered the originality of each concept, its potential for real-world implementation and growth, and its ability to enrich cultural diversity and generate new employment opportunities within the creative industries.

The forum’s agenda featured a series of thought-provoking sessions highlighting the intersection of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. It opened with ‘Animating the Future,’ a keynote by Mohamed Saeed Harib, Chairman of Lammtara Art Production, who reflected on how storytelling and cross-disciplinary collaboration can shape the future of creative enterprise. Another highlight was ‘Co-Creating Tomorrow: Writing the Human Story with AI,’ a fireside conversation between Mo Gawdat, best-selling author and former Chief Business Officer at Google, and Omar Butti, media personality and producer. It explored why imagination and artistic intuition remain uniquely human strengths in an AI-driven world. In ‘Beyond a Star,’ Chef Mohamad Orfali, Head of Culinary at Orfali Bros and Three Bros, joined Devina Divecha, editor and media consultant, to discuss redefining success beyond accolades and balancing creativity with entrepreneurship and authenticity.

The programme also featured a range of workshops, including ‘Rock Your Profile’ by Bilal Maasarani, Senior Business Development Director at LinkedIn; ‘Creating Success: Empathetic Entrepreneurship Thinking’ by Elmar Schüller, Assistant Professor for Strategic Design Management at DIDI; and ‘Unlocking IP for Creatives’ by Marian Rico Rodriguez, Legal Counsel at Dubai Economy and Tourism, who outlined ways to safeguard ideas through copyright and trademarks. The series also included ‘Partners by Design,’ a two-part workshop series led by ATÖLYE, exploring how creative communities can become engines of resilience, visibility, and long-term impact.

Khulood Khoory, Director of Projects and Events at Dubai Culture, noted that the Al Quoz Creative Entrepreneurship Forum has become a vital platform and key incubator for creative entrepreneurship, supporting Dubai’s wider development journey and shaping its future. She said: “Through its initiatives, Dubai Culture aims to create a competitive environment that attracts investors, talent, and creators; provides business owners with the tools they need to succeed; and enables them to grow their projects. This reinforces the emirate’s position as a global hub for the creative economy.”

She added that the forum continues to serve as a valuable space for dialogue between entrepreneurs, experts, and investors across disciplines, enriching knowledge exchange and inspiring continued innovation.

In addition to cash prizes, the winners received a comprehensive package of in-kind rewards from the forum’s prize partners, designed to accelerate their growth through mentorship, investment opportunities, and access to collaborative workspaces. The package included investment consideration and venture capital mentorship from Oraseya Capital; branding support and an office visit from LinkedIn; USD 500 in platform credits and smartwatches from Zoho; a three-month membership to the In5 innovation space; a three-month discount on co-working space from Innov8; a 20% discount on one event at Epicon Capital Club; mentorship matching from TiE Dubai; a one-hour consultancy on manufacturing from MakeWorks UAE; and a one-month Gold membership from Letswork.

The forum was made possible through the support of a diverse network of partners, including Entrepreneur Middle East as the official media partner; Al Khayat Avenue, Kanvas, Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery, Hungarian Games, and Area 57 as venue partners; Oraseya Capital, In5, TiE Dubai, MakeWorks UAE, Epicon Capital Club, LinkedIn, Letswork, Zoho, and Innov8 Incubator as prize partners; and Sajilni as the technology partner.