In a city built on ambition and possibility, Dubai is once again taking the spotlight – this time as the stage for The Final Pitch, the Middle East debut of the acclaimed entrepreneurial reality series. Filmed at Expo City Dubai and premiering on 17 November 2025, exclusively on OSNtv and OSN+, this regional adaptation of the award-winning Asian franchise brings together sixteen bold founders, each chasing the chance to transform ideas into investment.
Where most business shows dramatize the deal, The Final Pitch – Dubai takes a more grounded approach. It’s not just about who wins, but who grows.
Dubai’s Start-Up Renaissance
Entrepreneurship has long been part of the UAE’s identity. Yet in recent years, the country has transformed itself into a powerhouse of innovation, a magnet for founders, investors, and venture capitalists from across the world. The Final Pitch – Dubai captures this very spirit, acting as a mirror to a start-up culture defined by ambition, diversity, and bold risk-taking.
“Dubai has become a crossroads for founders with global ambitions,” said John Aguilar, Creator and Host of The Final Pitch and CEO of Dragons Nest LLC-FZ, the show’s production company.
“Filming at Expo City, a landmark that embodies the UAE’s forward-thinking vision, felt right for this milestone season. The Final Pitch – Dubai isn’t just an entertainment reality show. It’s a real platform where ideas meet opportunity.”
This season brings together entrepreneurs from a range of industries, from technology, sustainability, to health, fintech, and social impact, each with a vision evolving by the region’s rapidly evolving landscape.
From Idea to Investment
The format follows sixteen entrepreneurs as they step in front of an investor panel made up of some of the UAE’s most influential figures. Among them are Jigar Sagar, strategic government advisor and founder of Triliv Holdings, and Sami Khoreibi, investor and Founding Partner at Incubayt Investments.
Each founder pitches their business in front of the panel before undergoing a rigorous mentorship program, designed to test not only their business acumen but their ability to adapt and lead. For those who make it to the final stage, it all culminates in one defining moment – the ultimate pitch, where strategy meets conviction, and deals are either made or lost.
“Entrepreneurship is woven into Dubai’s DNA,” said Jigar Sagar. “Partnering with The Final Pitch – Dubai allows us to support founders who are transforming that spirit into tangible businesses ready for global growth.”
Khoreibi added:
“What makes The Final Pitch – Dubai powerful is that it doesn’t just highlight great ideas — it connects passionate founders with investors who understand what it takes to scale them into meaningful, sustainable businesses.”
The Founders & the Future
This year’s cohort reflects the diversity of Dubai’s innovation ecosystem, a mix of homegrown talent and international founders united by creativity and ambition.
Among them:
- Mark White, creator of Daily Five, a wellness platform designed to turn five-minute routines into long-term wellbeing habits.
- Lisa Laterza, founder of Detekta, an AI-driven RegTech start-up simplifying compliance for GCC financial firms.
- Fardeen and Zainab Shaikh, the husband-and-wife duo behind PAANI, a luxury hydration brand offering mineral water in sleek reusable aluminium bottles.
They appear alongside innovators such as Namrata Raina (QYUBIC), Menna Shahin and Maxim Haartsen (eJaby), Sara Masinaei (Artful Minds), and Lorna and Hassaan Ghazali (Plada) – each representing the next generation of entrepreneurs redefining what business looks like in the UAE.
More Than a Show
The production of The Final Pitch – Dubai is supported by Meydan Free Zone and Rove Hotels, alongside the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), a coalition that shows how public and private sectors in the UAE work in unison to empower entrepreneurs.
Their shared goal aligns with Dubai’s broader economic strategy, D33, which aims to scale 30 unicorns (companies valued at over $1 billion) and support 400 SMEs by 2033.
The Bigger Picture
Since its launch in 2017, The Final Pitch has helped over 350 start-ups secure millions in funding and partnerships across Asia. Its move to Dubai signals a new chapter in global entrepreneurship, one that positions the UAE not just as a hub for innovation, but as a launchpad for the next wave of world-changing businesses.
As Aguilar puts it, “This isn’t just television – it’s the story of how innovation takes flight.”
The Final Pitch – Dubai premieres on 17 November 2025, airing weekly on OSNtv and streaming on OSN+.
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