Funding and grants for women in the UAE
Accelerators, grants, development bank lending and fellowships open to women founders in the UAE — who each is for and what it gives you.
Funding in the UAE splits along a line that is not always stated openly: some programmes are open to anyone with a licence here, and some are for Emirati nationals only. Where that restriction exists it is named in the entry, so you are not finding out at the application stage.
Cycles move. Most of these open once or twice a year, and the dates shift. Check the programme's own page for the current round before you build a plan around it.
Funding
10 entries
Sharjah Women Impact Fellowship sheraa.ae
Twelve women founders a year, taken through a leadership programme ending in a graduation gala. For scaling a startup or strengthening an SME. Applications open in August, cohort runs October to March.
Sheraa — Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center sheraa.ae
Five programmes by stage, from a free 2.5-hour Blueprint to the Access Sharjah Challenge, which puts founders in front of government and corporate partners. Membership brings coworking and founder perks.
Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund mbrif.ae
An accelerator for innovations still taking shape, and a guarantee scheme that gets a bank to lend where there is no collateral. Open to applicants anywhere, not only UAE nationals.
Emirates Development Bank edb.gov.ae
The federal development bank. Lending and credit guarantees in its priority sectors, plus mentoring and a banking platform built for startups. For companies registered in the UAE, any size.
Dubai Founders HQ dubaifoundershq.com
What used to be Dubai SME. Routes into Dubai’s government-backed investment funds, a members’ campus, and a separate track of benefits for Emiratis. By application.
Hub71 — Abu Dhabi hub71.com
Abu Dhabi’s tech ecosystem. Initiate is for the idea stage, Access is a package for entering the market, Sandbox lets you trial a regulated product with the regulators watching.
Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development khalifafund.ae
Abu Dhabi’s enterprise fund, AED 1.3 billion into 1,200+ SMEs. Funding is for Emirati-owned SMEs only — check that first. Training and membership are open wider.
Women in Tech Accelerator vilcap.com
Grants plus a programme for women leading tech-enabled startups, from the Standard Chartered Foundation with Village Capital. Over USD 600,000 shared across 12 markets this year. Applications go through a local partner — the country list is on the page.
Beit Al Khair Society beitalkhair.org
Financial and in-kind help for people in need in the UAE — rent, debt, medical, school fees. There is an “Ask for help” route on the site. Branches in five emirates.
Emirates Red Crescent emiratesrc.ae
Local assistance and sponsorship programmes through branches in every emirate. The site is Arabic-first — look for المساعدات المحلية (local assistance).
More for the UAE
Every link on this page was opened and checked by hand. Last reviewed 04 October 2026.