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Foundster Is Dubai’s New AI-Driven Company Setup Service
The AI-powered platform revolutionizes business formation using conversational AI while offering personalized guidance on visas and more.
Foundster is a new AI-powered platform designed to simplify the often convoluted process of starting a business in Dubai. Using conversation-based artificial intelligence, the service streamlines company formation, making the process far more efficient for aspiring entrepreneurs.
At its core, Foundster employs advanced AI technology trained on over 980,000 words of specialized content related to UAE corporate law and Freezone regulations. This gives the chatbots the expertise needed to act like knowledgeable business consultants. Entrepreneurs can share their business ideas with AI Assistants through the Foundster website or even via WhatsApp. After evaluating the business concept, AI then ensures compliance with legal requirements and offers tailored solutions to create an optimal company structure.
The process is straightforward and conversational: Founders describe their project, and the AI responds with relevant questions to guide them, helping with everything from selecting the right business activities to choosing a company name and configuring the shareholder structure. The entire experience feels more like chatting with a seasoned consultant than dealing with the traditional complexities of setting up a business.
Even after a company is established, the Foundster Assistant remains a reliable guide. It supports visa applications by sending reminders, providing directions to government offices, and offering quick answers to questions about processes like medical checks and biometric scans. This 24/7 assistance ensures a smooth journey through every stage of the business setup.
Also Read: The Most AI-Proof Career Opportunities In The Middle East
Tobias Hieb, a successful German internet entrepreneur and the driving force behind Foundster, shared his vision in a press release: “At Foundster, we use AI in a very focused way: It handles tasks where it provides founders with the greatest added value. Our experience from supporting hundreds of companies has shown us where the most common challenges lie. We address exactly these pain points with our AI Assistant, making the formation process significantly more efficient”.
The platform’s current focus is on formations in the IFZA Freezone, but the team has ambitious plans for growth. “The successful launch […] is just the beginning,” Hieb stated. “We’re expanding Foundster to include additional Freezones and Mainland formations. Our ultimate goal is to make Foundster the central digital hub for company setups in the UAE. Founders will be able to compare all available options and identify the best solution for their business model”.
News
Saudi Digital Payments Reach 80% As Cash Use Shrinks
Visa data shows cards and mobile wallets dominate spending, with smartphones now driving a growing share of daily transactions.
Digital payments now account for 80% of all transactions in Saudi Arabia, according to Visa’s latest Where Cash Hides report, another marker of how quickly the Kingdom is moving away from cash.
The share is up four percentage points from a year ago. Around 67% of consumers are now largely non-cash users, paying mainly with cards or mobile wallets. Smartphones are taking a bigger role, with mobile payments making up 16% of transactions.

Cash is retreating in routine spending. Eating out dropped 9%. Bill payments fell 8%, as shoppers opt for faster checkouts and app-based payments.
“The data shows a steady move toward digital payments in Saudi Arabia. Such progress is possible only because banks, fintechs, merchants, and technology partners are moving together in the same direction, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030,” said Ali Bailoun, Visa’s Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman.
Also Read: UAE Users Sleep Less, But More Efficiently, ŌURA Data Reveals
Despite the recent findings, it’s important to note that cash hasn’t yet disappeared. It still shows up for tips (39%), peer-to-peer transfers (28%) and rent (14%).
Visa points to security features such as tokenization, along with rewards and cashback, as factors nudging more spending onto cards and phones — a shift that tracks with Saudi Arabia’s wider Vision 2030 push to digitize commerce.
