Rising To The Occasion: Meet The Finalists Of Dubai Smartpreneur Competition 4.0 The finalists of the Dubai Smartpreneur Competition 4.0 were selected out of more than 250 smart business ideas submitted this year.

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Dubai Chamber

The winners of the Dubai Smartpreneur Competition 4.0, presented by Dubai Startup Hub, the entrepreneurship support arm of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Smart Dubai, were announced during the closing ceremony of Entrepreneur Middle East's Enterprise Agility Forum 2019 in Dubai last month, which gathered business leaders and representatives of Dubai's entrepreneurial community.

Denarii Cash, a mobile application helping overseas workers to send remittances, has won the competition, while Arabee, an online multi-format Arabic language program, and Xpence, a digital-only intelligent business bank account for startups, came in second and third respectively.

According H.E. Majid Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the fourth cycle of the Dubai Smartpreneur competition saw a 217% surge in the number of international submissions compared to the previous cycle. Apart from the UAE, the competition attracted smart business concepts related to blockchain, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation from 19 countries in 2019, up from 6 countries in 2018, reflecting Dubai's increasing attractiveness as an innovation hub and preferred market for international startups.

"Over 1,600 smart business ideas have been submitted to Dubai Smartprenuer competition since its launch, and we continue to see positive changes as the quality and calibre of applications and participants increases with every new cycle," said H.E. Al Ghurair. "The benefits of participating in this unique programme go far beyond the recognition of winning, and extend to the training, development, mentorship, practical tips and rewarding experience that comes along with the pitching process."

The Entrepreneur Middle East team talked with some of the finalists of the Fourth Dubai Smartpreneur Competition, who were selected out of more than 250 smart business ideas submitted to Dubai Startup Hub this year.

Jon Edward Santillan, founder, Denarii Cash

Ferakh Lakhany, co-founder, Arabee

Saad Ansari, co-founder and CEO, Xpence

Fadi Elghattis, co-founder, Cyber Accounting Services

Thomas Kohlen, co-founder, Peliere

Sevan Tavitian, founder, Giftrapp

Tarek El Bolbol, founder, Booklava

Arif Abed, co-founder, Monocle

Sunil Sivarajan, co-founder, Simplifai Labs

Nadim Habr, founder, DesignHubz

Related: Dubai's University Free Zones Strategy To Power New Wave Of Student-Lead Innovation And Entrepreneurship In The Emirate

Science & Technology

3 AI Tools to Help You Start a Profitable Solo Business in 2025

Ready to automate your business and scale without a team? This video is your step-by-step guide.

Thought Leaders

Become a Better Entrepreneur by Subscribing to These 5 Newsletters

Wouldn't it be nice to subscribe to some email lists that are packed of truly beneficial information?

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Growth Strategies

How Dubai Based Startup Uncle Fluffy Bakery Became A Global Franchise

The Uncle Fluffy brand now has the distinction of being franchised out to multiple geographies within three years of its existence, which makes one wonder of its secret sauce.

Starting a Business

This Couple Used Their Savings to Start a Small Business. A Smart Strategy Helped Make It a Multimillion-Dollar Success.

Haley and Adam Weidenbaum launched Everhem to address an overlooked issue in the interior design space.

Starting a Business

These College Friends Started a Side Hustle Out of 'Sheer Frustration.' It Did $1 Million in the First 9 Months and $20 Million in Year 4.

Courtney Toll and Annabel Love came up with their business idea during summer internships in college.