Future Innovation: The Great Technology Betting Dubai Makes Today

Dubai comes quickly as more than just a financial pivot; It becomes a launch path for technology-led businesses seeking scale, structure and global reach. The emirate was made possible by streamlined incorporation, regulatory access and a multicultural consumer base and position itself as a magnet for founders and platforms aimed at building regional relevant, global scalable operations. For Policybazaar, one of India’s largest digital insurance platforms, Dubai is a strategic expansion and a test ground. Stekan Gupta, CEO of Policybazaar UAE, shares how the city’s innovation first posture, backed by rapidly moving policy, institutional support and a high-trust digital environment, creates a fertile ground for insourtech evolution. “You can’t leave Dubai out of the equation,” says Mr. Gupta. ‘It is at the forefront of doing very well almost a magnet where many new innovations occur. And when you look at the Asian subcontinent, many founders are usually moving to the continent. Mr. Gupta and his team are now adjusting India’s insuretech playbook to a new regulatory and consumer environment, which he believes is moving quickly in the right direction. Dubai, built for business at a fundamental level, is designed to remove friction of entrepreneurship. “If you want to start a business today … you will probably be able to establish a company within 48-72 hours,” Mr. Gupta on. The simplicity extends beyond registration. “From the perspective of a founder, you do not want a headache of support functions,” he adds, pointing to the clarity of tax and compliance structures in the UAE. He considers the administrative and regulatory institutions of Dubai responding. “The regulations are much clearer, transparent and the government bodies are much more interactive,” he says. “If I want to meet someone in the government department because I need clarity, there are enough government officials who will help me.” This sense of institutional access is a recurring theme. Mr. Gupta also mentions the proactive policy agenda of Dubai, especially the Dubai Vision 2033 and open insurance frameworks than forward-looking movements that help companies such as its experiment and growth. “The regulatory framework helps to enable many companies to come in, set up, experiment and move forward.” A consumer base that is global Mr. Gupta is, considered Dubai’s diverse, global associated population as an asset for product development. “You also have an audience, which is a global audience,” he says. ‘You want to reach out from another cultural, different geographical perspective to multiple people. And this is where Dubai is the center of it. ‘ This consumer base is not only diverse, it is also digital. “Dubai would have one of the highest penetration when it comes to using social media apps and everything,” he notes. “So the consumers are already digitally busy.” Although financial products still need strong trust signals, says Mr. Gupta that Dubai has the institutional credibility to bridge the gap. “If you have a Dubai government license, the trust is very different. People believe that the government has done its caution. ‘ Dubai is an expansion of their Indian operations, with seamless exchanges between the two markets, bringing down scaled innovation from India to the Gulf to Policybazaar. “Whatever we did at Policybazaar in India … We are trying to adapt it to the UAE market from Dubai,” explains Mr. Gupta. The company locates digital instruments and automation solutions that appear to be effective in India’s high-volume environment. The regulatory alignment between the two countries helps. “Because it is very closely with India from a government perspective, people perspective, many innovation of India is now translating the vague,” says Mr. Gupta. Dubai’s consumer market, although smaller, offers higher ticket sizes. This, together with its role as a connection to the broader Mena region and Africa, gives businesses the ability to test and scale quickly. ‘You can start a business there, probably launch a business. And once you have achieved a scale, you can take it to the masses, to the west, to Africa, Dubai helps you do it ‘. Designed for founders and their families Dubai’s attraction goes beyond economics. Mr. Gupta notes that the city offers a compelling case to relocate families – a factor often overlooked for initial leaders. “The family is comfortable, I don’t really have to worry if my child is going to play in the park,” he says. “From the perspective of a founder … With that peace of mind, you can only focus on work.” This lifestyle infrastructure complements Dubai’s strong physical connectivity. “It’s almost like taking your passport and going to the (Dubai) airport, you will probably be able to flee to any destination in the world within the next two, three hours.” The continued investments in digital infrastructure and a growing focus on AI and automation are formed from a position of strength Dubai’s direction and is formed. Mr. Gupta sees strong alignment between public policy and private ambition. “Reveal-private partnership is taken to the next wave,” he says. “They constantly work with companies and listen to us, which is usually never the case (with governments).” At Policybazaar UAE, the company is launching AI over the workflow of consumers, from verification calls to claim support. “Nearly about 80% moved through AI,” says Mr. Gupta and describe how the firm replaces manual processes with intelligent chat and polls. “You will not be able to distinguish – is it a human voice or it is a machine I speak to.” As more Indian entrepreneurs examine border -border expansion, Dubai emerges as one of the choices – which offers scale, structure and speed. The insights in this article were obtained from a recent video interview with Mr. Stekan Gupta, CEO – Policybazaar UAE, where he shared his perspectives on Dubai’s rise as a technology -led financial services ecosystem. 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