Innovation City CEO Paul Dawalibi on Why Free Zones Are Becoming the New AI Infrastructure

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MENA Blockchain Week, the region's first flagship city-wide blockchain initiative, is hosting the MENA Blockchain Week Online Series. The Online Series kicks off with a landmark collaboration with Innovation City, the world's first AI-powered free zone, headquartered in Ras Al Khaimah, formalizing a joint platform for dialogue on AI infrastructure, free zone governance, and the UAE's emerging position as the world's default jurisdiction for technology companies building at the frontier.

The first session, titled "Virtual Fireside Chat: Who Is Actually Building the Next AI Economy and Where?" will feature Paul Dawalibi, Chief Executive Officer of Innovation City, in a live-streamed interview on 27 August 2026, from 18:00 to 18:30 Dubai time.

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The Next AI Economy Is Being Built Around Infrastructure

The session will take place from 18:00 to 18:30 Dubai time across LinkedIn, YouTube and X, as part of the MENA Blockchain Week Online Series, a digital platform extending conversations around blockchain, AI and emerging technologies beyond the physical event and connecting founders, investors, technology leaders and ecosystem builders with a wider global audience.

Against this backdrop, Dawalibi will examine how the rapid expansion of AI is changing the fundamentals of where technology companies build and scale. As access to compute, data infrastructure, talent, capital, regulatory certainty and global markets becomes increasingly important, the definition of a successful technology ecosystem is evolving.

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For Dawalibi, this is not about replicating established technology hubs, but rethinking what an effective ecosystem needs to provide in an AI-driven economy.

"Silicon Valley showed the world that innovation thrives when infrastructure, talent and capital come together" said Paul Dawalibi CEO of Innovation City. "AI is now expanding that definition of infrastructure. The next generation of technology companies will look for ecosystems that can give them access to compute, capital, talent, regulatory certainty and global markets from the outset. The opportunity is not to replicate the technology hubs of the past, but to build ecosystems designed for what the next generation of companies actually needs."

The conversation will explore what this shift means for founders, investors and technology companies as they consider where to establish operations, develop new technologies and scale globally.

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From Infrastructure to Ecosystem

Headquartered in Ras Al Khaimah, Innovation City is developing an ecosystem built around the infrastructure and operating environment required by the next generation of technology businesses. At the centre of this model is sovereign AI infrastructure, with a UAE-based AI data centre giving companies access to dedicated compute within the country. Combined with the UAE's connectivity and access to international markets, Innovation City is designed to give businesses a platform to build from the region while operating globally.

Dawalibi will explore these questions live on 27 August, offering his perspective on where the next generation of AI companies will choose to build and what they will expect from the ecosystems around them.

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Register for the livestream: https://luma.com/tb2z7le5?tk=QVQINy

Stream live on LinkedIn, YouTube and X | 27 August 2026 | 18:00 Dubai time

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About MENA Blockchain Week

MENA Blockchain Week is a city-wide blockchain and AI initiative operated under the institutional backing of Dubai Business Events (DBE), the official convention bureau of Dubai operating under the Department of Economy & Tourism (DET), as the Official Destination Partner.

Learn more at https://www.menablockchainweek.ae/posteventreport2026

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About Innovation City

Innovation City is the UAE's groundbreaking AI-powered free zone based in Ras Al Khaimah, purpose-built for the industries of tomorrow - Web3, artificial intelligence, gaming, robotics, healthtech, and beyond. Under the leadership of CEO Paul Dawalibi, it has become the region's most ambitious ecosystem for founders who refuse to accept yesterday's rules.

Learn more at https://www.innovationcity.com

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