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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.
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.
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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.
News
LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE
Sellers keep 100 percent of every sale and AI can build a listing in five seconds — though the app’s smartest tools are still coming.
Secondhand shopping has become mainstream in the UAE, but the experience is still scattered across resale sites, social media and informal group chats. LUVED, a mobile-first marketplace that launched in Dubai this month, is betting it can pull that activity into one place — and that the thing buyers and sellers actually want is not more inventory, but trust.
The app trades in what it calls circular luxury: preloved fashion and lifestyle pieces across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, bought, sold or given away peer to peer. Its main pitch is economics, with sellers keeping 100 percent of every sale under a zero-commission, fast payout model, while buyers are promised vetted pieces at lower prices.
Where LUVED is staking its reputation is verification. Sellers pass a KYC check, and items run through a two-layer authentication system powered by Entrupy that pairs instant AI screening with human expert review for high-value pieces. Authenticity certificates travel with each item, payments sit in escrow, and a buyer-protection package the company calls The Safety Net adds a 48-hour return window and dispute resolution. Door-to-door logistics removes the in-person meetups that make most resale deals awkward.
An in-app assistant called Luvbot — offering selling insights and demand-based recommendations — is soon to be introduced to the platform. Other features include autofill and dynamic pricing that lets users build a listing in as little as five seconds from three photos, plus a swipe-based feed, story-style drops and in-app chat in English and Arabic. Finally, a gifting layer, Luved & Gifted, lets users pass items to others inside the app rather than sell them.
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“After moving to Dubai, I saw how difficult it was to sell or even give things away,” says founder and CEO Shaima Sibtain. The friction is real, and so is the competition. In resale, trust is won transaction by transaction — and that is the test LUVED has set itself.
The app is live on the App Store now, with Google Play to follow. The company also plans to expand across the region, which will be the real test for a marketplace staking everything on trust.
