Dubai HUB first among Arab cities
December 16th, 2012,
Dubai, UAE - HUB Dubai, a unique community of ethical entrepreneurs, responsible corporate innovators, and socially-conscious individuals yearning for a more sustainable lifestyle and centered around places to meet, learn, and innovate, has launched operations today in 21st-century fashion: through a Twitter announcement on 12/12/12 12:12 PM and precisely 12 seconds Dubai time, followed by a launch event hosted by boutique heritage hotel Orient Guest House and attended by representatives of private, academic, and government circles.
"In a Middle East plagued by unemployment and intellectual deprivation, we need to enable meaningful self-employment for everybody," said Aman Merchant, HUB Dubai cofounder and executive chair. "The Hub Dubai does exactly that - by curating an experiential learning platform for collaborative entrepreneurship and innovation." The initiative for HUB Dubai embarked on in 2009 was a milestone achievement for the city of Dubai, furthering its position as a regional capital for starting and advancing new ideas into good, sustainable enterprises.
HUB Dubai's launch was marked by having raised the requisite funding to open its space through EMERGE VENTURES, a premier venture capital firm, as well as a group of individual private investors composed of leading Emiratis and expatriates. HUB Dubai will continue raising seed capital through 2013 for scaling its impact.
The HUB will open during Q1 2013 in the Burj Downtown area as a result of an unconventional crowd-built design process. "In our choices of location, we considered how Dubai's evolving urban landscape is contributing to the spirit of endeavor," Mr. Merchant said. "We honored where enterprising ideas and cultural appreciation really began in Dubai, through our choice of a launch event venue in Bastakiya's Souk Al Kabeer. And through our forthcoming opening of HUB Dubai in the central proximity of Dubai Mall, Dubai Opera House and Business Bay, we are simply listening to where our community have been telling us they want their HUB to be going. Upon opening, Hub Dubai will become the hangout for the city's coolest entrepreneurs and sophisticated thought leaders, who are now ready for an established global launchpad and worldwide tribe that only The HUB can provide."
Preceding the space, HUB Dubai's launch today marked the start of operational activity through its free pilot of HUBnet, an exclusive HUB-only online global collaboration platform where HUB Dubai's community can interact and engage with 5,000+ other HUBsters from 35+ HUBs across 5 continents worldwide, around areas of shared interest spanning social, environmental, and economic sustainability such as permaculture, green energy, startup acceleration, microfinance, space exploration, DIY, crowdfunding, eco-travel, and other world-changing causes.
Through its website, http://the-hub.ae, HUB Dubai is now open for HUB Virtual plan applications which allows members of the Hub Dubai community to explore HUBnet entirely free through its BETA period between today's launch and the grand opening of its physical space.
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ABOUT THE HUB:
The HUB is about the power of innovation through collaboration. We believe there is no shortage of good ideas to solve the issues of our time. But there is an acute lack of collaboration and support structures to help make them happen. The HUB was founded to address this need. We set out to create spaces that combine the best of a trusted community, innovation lab, business incubator and the comforts of home. Spaces with all the tools and trimmings needed to grow and develop innovative ventures for the world. But above all, spaces for meaningful encounters, exchange and inspiration, full of diverse people doing amazing things. The idea has been spreading like wildfire and resulted in the emergence of a global movement. To date, there are 35+ open HUBs and many more in the making, from London to San Francisco, Johannesburg, Melbourne and Sao Paulo. Our ambition is to become a global network of connected communities that enable collaborative ventures for a better world. At the HUB, people from every profession, background and culture are being united by one thing: the imagination and drive to pursue enterprising ideas for the world. These are the people who see and do things differently and have entrepreneurial passion to create sustainable impact. The HUB is becoming the place they call home. For more information, visit http://the-hub.ae
CONTACT:
To learn more please contact
HUBib!, Cofounder
Tel: (050) 652-8192
Email: ha@the-hub.ae
© Press Release 2012
