Dubai’s Global Grad Show gears up for its most comprehensive showcase of international social impact innovation to date

Featuring top graduates from 470 leading universities across the world, this year’s edition adds to Dubai’s profile as a global destination for talent and innovation

- Seventh Global Grad Show sees 70% growth in participating universities
- Over 1,000 IP-backed projects registered to join the entrepreneurship programme
- Growth strengthens event’s alignment with the UAE’s vision for economic development

The Global Grad Show, held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and member of the Dubai Council, and in partnership with A.R.M. Holding and Dubai Culture, is set for its most impactful edition to date.

The Global Grad Show is a leading international programme for social impact innovations created by university graduates. For its upcoming seventh edition, it has received applications from over 70 countries, with a 70% increase in the number of universities compared to 2020. With top graduates from 470 leading universities across Europe, Americas, Asia, Africa and the Middle East applying to this year’s edition, the event further raises Dubai’s profile as a global destination for talent and innovation.  

This year’s growth in size is also matched by heightened diversity. Participants have put forward innovation in fields ranging from bioengineering to cloud computing, neuroscience and urban design, hailing from universities such as Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Oxford and Cambridge, alongside regional colleges in developing economies including Bhutan, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Jamaica and Brunei.

Global Grad Show’s yearly showcase is a central part of the programme. The 2021 selection of international projects will be unveiled online on 8 November, featuring the most innovative solutions to some of the greatest and often unappreciated challenges of our times. In addition, MENA Grad Show will display social impact projects developed by academic talent from the region, at a physical exhibition held as part of Dubai Design Week.  

Since its launch in 2015, more than 7,000 students across over 640 universities have submitted projects to the programme, making it a key converging point for talented minds from across the world.  Global Grad Show’s continued growth and positioning within future-looking fields (innovation, academic research and social impact) reinforce its alignment with UAE’s vision. Guided by the 10 principles for the next 50 years recently announced by the country’s leadership, the programme has been a direct enabler of:

• Human capital attraction - engaging thousands of the most innovative students from leading universities across all continents.
• Entrepreneurship - supporting young founders to take their ideas forward through structured training, mentorship and funding opportunities.  
• Advanced technologies - bringing together breakthrough innovations in science and creative fields from the world’s most advanced research centres.
• Global Citizenship - embracing the need to create a better future as its cornerstone.

With its vast and diverse worldwide participation, the seventh edition of the Global Grad Show further reinforces Dubai’s emergence as a hub for impact innovation. Dubai was ranked the top city for business innovation in the Arab world by a global study released last month by B2B financial service platform Finom.de. Furthermore, a study issued earlier this year by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Bayt.com ranked Dubai third in the world as a destination for talent.


Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “In line with the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Global Grad Show mirrors the UAE’s and Dubai’s drive for future-readiness and its commitment to developing human capital. Through the efforts of the thousands of brilliant young minds who engage with the programme every year, a better future is being shaped - and enabling their growth means creating a more prosperous society for everyone.

“We are pleased to contribute to the UAE’s vision for the next 50 years. As we develop strategies for sustainable development and international cooperation, we look at the boundless talent within the Global Grad Show community and become more confident that the programme is ideally placed to contribute towards these goals and thrive.”

This year, the entrepreneurship programme, an integral component of Global Grad Show, has seen triple the number of registrations compared to last year. Starting in November, it will offer training and mentorship from venture-building experts and a network of industry leaders. At the end of the development journey, successful participants will have the opportunity to pitch to investors, including A.R.M. Holding, who have pledged a fund worth AED10 million over 10 years to support programme participants in advancing their projects.  

Working alongside local stakeholders, the programme leverages Dubai’s vision to become the world’s leading hub for impact innovation. Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, Director, Global Grad Show, commented: “Everything we do is fundamentally for a better future - for people and the planet. Our programme is a platform for the next generation of impact innovators to grow. It nurtures and connects transformative projects with the public, investors and stakeholders from the global development agenda. Dubai is a city where a better future is constantly being made possible and Global Grad Show is both a manifestation and a catalyst of that drive. ”