Inside UAE’s Growth Engine: EDB CEO Ahmed Al Naqbi on Building the Future

Episode notes

Join hosts Ronit Ghose and Gaurav Dhar as they sit down with Ahmed Al Naqbi, CEO of Emirates Development Bank - the man behind the UAE’s boldest $30 billion bet on the future. In this episode, Ahmed reveals how EDB is rewriting the playbook on government-backed finance: zero-collateral funding, rapid approvals, and a laser focus on AI, biotech, space, and advanced manufacturing. If you’re a founder, this is your roadmap to unlocking capital in the UAE. We get into how EDB thinks like a VC, not a traditional bank - and why Ahmed is on a mission to fund the builders of tomorrow. He shares what startups get wrong when pitching, the power of sovereign backing, and how EDB is fast becoming the Gulf’s answer to Silicon Valley Bank. Tune in to discover how the UAE is financing its next economic leap - and why EDB might just be the most founder-friendly bank in the region. #startups #UAE #VC #innovation #futureofwork #manufacturing #AI

• Building Fintech Ecosystems | Inside MENA with Nameer Khan67 / 100
• The Founder Mindset: Sophie Guibaud on Fintech, Saudi and What’s Next
• The Digital Asset Race: Regulation, Innovation & Crypto in MENA with Serena from PwC
• The Fintech Battleground: Startups, Struggles & Scaling in MENA with Usman Ahmed from Zodia
• From Paratrooper to Blockchain Pioneer: Ken Chapman on Crypto, Custody & Regulation