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Dubai Investors Join “The Final Pitch” In Reality Show’s Middle East Debut

Asia’s longest-running business reality show will air in Dubai with a powerhouse panel of judges to fund and mentor local entrepreneurs.

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top dubai investors join the final pitch in reality show's middle east debut

Dubai will become the new stage for entrepreneurial ambition as four of its top business leaders are confirmed as investor-judges for the Middle East debut of The Final Pitch, Asia’s longest-running business reality series.

With a background in industries including digital transformation, real estate, clean tech, fintech, and venture capital, the newly named investor panel includes Cypher Capital Founding Partner and Phoenix Group Co-Founder Bijan Alizadeh; renowned real estate figure Dr. Mohanad Alwadiya, also known as “The Wolf of Real Estate”; Incubayt Investments Founding Partner Sami Khoreibi, and Jigar Sagar, Founder of Triliv Holdings and a strategic advisor to regional governments.

The Final Pitch will keep its established format, giving selected entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their businesses directly to the experienced judges. As well as access to capital, the show promises mentorship, exposure to new networks, and insight into real-world business operations. Founders will receive strategic guidance from the judges, who will open the doors of their companies to support startup development.

John Aguilar, creator and host of The Final Pitch and founder of Dragon’s Nest, called Dubai “one of the most exciting places in the world to build and grow a business right now,” adding that the UAE edition is about connecting founders with meaningful investment, mentorship, and opportunities that support the country’s vision for a knowledge-based economy.

Also Read: iFLYTEK Smart Translator 4.0 Review: A Traveler’s Companion

The series, produced by Dragon’s Nest in collaboration with Ti22 Films, will begin filming in June 2025 across well-known Dubai locations. Applications are now open to startup founders both within the UAE and internationally, offering them the chance to appear on the show and accelerate their growth.

Entrepreneurs interested in applying can submit their pitches through the show’s official website. The application window closes on May 27, 2025.

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Trip.com Is Betting An AI Agent Will Book Your Next Vacation

Abu Dhabi, Jazeera Airways and a run of hotel deals give the company more inventory. Its Mastercard demo says the most about where booking technology is headed.

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trip.com is betting an ai agent will book your next vacation

Most of what Trip.com Group announced at Arabian Travel Market 2026 this week reads like the standard expansion playbook of an online travel agency: a new agreement with a tourism board, a run of hotel partnerships, an airline deal. However, one item was considerably more interesting: a demonstration built with Mastercard of an AI agent that doesn’t just suggest trips but also pays for them.

trip.com tripgenie ai agent

The showcase put TripGenie, the company’s AI travel assistant, to work searching, selecting and completing purchases inside a single booking flow, with Mastercard’s Agent Suite for Merchants handling the payment step and Network International processing the transactions on the merchant side. It’s limited for now to attractions and ancillary services, but the partners plan a phased commercial rollout from early 2027.

“As traveller expectations change, technology and AI will play an increasingly important role in how people plan their journeys,” says Schubert Lou, CEO of Trip.com.

Meanwhile, in more conventional news, CEO Lou and Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry (Director General for Tourism at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi), signed an agreement building on the two organizations’ existing partnership, with joint marketing and Abu Dhabi destination content to be pushed across Trip.com Group’s platforms.

Also Read: Musk’s Boring Company Wants To Dig 150 KM Of Tunnel Under The UAE

On accommodation, the group expanded its partnerships with JA Hotels & Resorts, Ishraq Hospitality and Aleph Hospitality and deepened its work with Silkhaus, which brings vacation homes into a portfolio that has so far leaned on hotels. Jazeera Airways signed a strategic partnership intended to widen the Kuwaiti carrier’s reach and encourage earlier bookings, tied to Kuwait’s own tourism ambitions.

The company moved into a larger Dubai office earlier this year and describes its long-term aim as a two-way ecosystem: sending Middle East travelers abroad while drawing international visitors in.

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