Dubai is expanding its Emirati Chef’s Table initiative to support 12 Emirati founders in the food and beverage sector through mentoring, training and hands-on operating experience.
The program is run by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development in partnership with Kitopi. The new edition will include three cohorts of four founders each, running from September through November 2026, according to the announcement.
Participants will gain access to Kitopi’s kitchens, customer base and delivery network. Selected businesses may also have their products listed on Kitopi’s Eato platform, allowing them to test recipes with consumers, measure demand and use market feedback to improve their offerings.
The initiative is designed for founders moving from the idea or early-stage phase toward more commercially ready and scalable business models. Its focus is not direct funding, but building commercial readiness, skills and market access, with broader support provided according to each project’s needs.
The first edition, launched in 2025, supported five Emirati entrepreneurs. The program forms part of Dubai’s D33 economic agenda, which targets supporting 27,000 Emirati companies and 8,000 entrepreneurs by 2033. Small and medium-sized businesses account for around 95% of companies operating in Dubai.
Source: Al Khaleej
