Abu Dhabi, UAE: Violet Ventures, recognized as the UAE’s largest student startup community based at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), successfully hosted the third edition of NYUAD Slush’D, focusing on “The Future of AI in MENA.” This event is a regional extension of Slush, the largest founder-centric gathering globally, and it attracted over 500 attendees, including startup founders, professors, and students from 20 universities spanning the UAE, Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Japan.

The conference featured notable guests such as H.E. Alia Bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship; H.E. Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Cultural Affairs; and Tuula Yrjölä, the Finnish Ambassador to the UAE. The event was organized in collaboration with Nokia, the NYUAD Career Development Center, Business Finland, and startAD, a startup accelerator backed by Tamkeen.

During her speech, H.E. Alia Bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei emphasized the UAE’s commitment to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and outlined future plans for nurturing startups. She highlighted the introduction of the “RIYADA” ecosystem, a partnership with 16 government entities designed to enhance support for entrepreneurs. This initiative aims to boost the success rate of young entrepreneurs from 30% to 50% by 2031, reinforcing the UAE’s ambition to be a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

H.E. Al Mazrouei noted that the NYUAD Slush’D event exemplifies effective partnerships between academic and private sectors to foster entrepreneurship, especially in artificial intelligence, a crucial area for future growth. She also pointed out the diverse mix of participants as evidence of the UAE’s standing as a global center for talent and innovation within the startup ecosystem.

The conference included 18 sessions featuring 33 speakers, covering the transformative impact of AI on healthcare, fintech, and the aerospace industry. Experts from major companies such as Amazon Web Services, Nokia, Careem, and BECO Capital provided insights into AI startup funding and applications.

A significant highlight of the event was the AI for Good Hackathon, sponsored by Nokia. Out of 344 initial participants, 12 finalist teams presented their projects live at the conference. The first prize was awarded to ContosoAE from Khalifa University and UAE University for their AI-powered social and professional training app, “Socia.” The second place went to Team Unbreakable 3310 from NYUAD for their digital assistant for seniors, “How To,” while OptiMinds from NYUAD secured third place with “TrueSight,” an AI tool designed to combat deepfakes and misinformation.

Additionally, the Student Startup Exhibition showcased 10 promising student-led ventures, and the Career Expo, in partnership with NYUAD’s Career Development Center, facilitated over 270 interviews between students and 18 employers, including Careem and Al Maryah Community Bank.

Reflecting on the gathering, the Head of Government and Policy Affairs for Africa and the Middle East at Nokia remarked that Slush’D effectively united top talent to address real-world challenges, promoting collaboration between academia and industry. Ashwin Joshi, Director at startAD, pointed out that with nearly 40% of global employment at risk from AI, the potential for positive change is significant, and events like NYUAD Slush’D empower young entrepreneurs to leverage AI for meaningful impact.

Slush is recognized as the world’s largest founder-focused startup conference, drawing more than 13,000 attendees annually. As the only organizer of Slush’D in MENA, Violet Ventures continues to facilitate networking, knowledge sharing, and impactful collaborations among students, startups, and investors, further establishing the UAE’s presence in the global startup ecosystem.