We profile some of the brightest founders and firms that have identified new markets and revenue streams. Plus, how to build a charming co-working space, the perfect office chair and more.

Success takes graft and good ideas. But let’s face it: sometimes, it’s also about being in the right place at the right time. That’s how this UAE special, our first dedicated country issue of our business-minded magazine, got off the ground.

Although the car is still king here, the UAE is racing ahead when it comes to increasing mobility options around the country. Whether you opt for water, rail or tarmac, discovering the seven emirates has never been simpler.

Business in the UAE is booming but it’s not just tall towers shooting skyward, oil services or aviation. Here we profile a breadth of start-ups and smart ideas from AI and app development to design and film production – plus what’s brewing in the Arabian coffee scene.

Where do we go from here? Monocle explores the possibilities for growth in the UAE, from the shopping boom to pioneering space travel.

A new crop of entrepreneurs is prepping the ground to grow food in the desert. Now the competition is hotting up.

An entrepreneur has found a way to retrofit gas guzzlers, turn taxi fleets electric and help his car-centric city hit its climate goals. The technology behind this could mean that the company’s final destination lies well beyond the UAE.

Careem started life in mobility but quickly expanded into food deliveries, managing payments and more. The company prides itself on improving the lives of its users and its employees alike. Here’s how it became a Middle East success story.

In no time at all, Dubai has built a smart public-transport system that is showing the other car-centric cities how it can be done. Jump onboard.

As president of Emirates airline, one of the UAE’s flag carriers, Tim Clark is at the centre of world aviation. He talks to us about the politics of flying, artificial intelligence and why passports should be a thing of the past.

Three Lufthansa alumni hatched a plan to rethink high-end travel with new Dubai-based airline Beond. Ultra-long haul routes and Ferrari-designed seats are just a few of the reasons that they are already off to a flying start.

From redefining retail and simplifying fintech to connecting students with their ideal teachers, we meet six young entrepreneurs who have turned big ideas into emerging businesses with a wealth of real-world benefits.

As the UAE looks to rapidly diversify its economy, advanced manufacturing is one surprising growth area. From plane parts to robotics, new technology start-ups are tapping into the Emirates’ entrepreneurial spirit.

One company’s trash is another’s profit. After revolutionising waste management in the UAE, Beeah has once again set the standard for sustainability with one of Zaha Hadid’s final builds – an undulating, solar-powered, AI-controlled base.

As a still-young country, the UAE offers bold, enterprising entrepreneurs opportunities to carve out their own path, whether in logistics or property. We meet three business pioneers.

Expo 2020 Dubai showed the world that the UAE can host a global event and the site’s sustainability ambitions are now helping it to secure a future as a vibrant business and residential hub.

There is no shortage of new niches to seek in the UAE. Fresh proposals for booming business across healthcare, retail and even laundry can fill gaps in the market. These are the for-now imaginary businesses that we would back

The UAE has a vibrant ecosystem that supports those with a bright idea. All it takes is tenacity, creativity and drive. Not sure about what to expect? We asked 20 business leaders for top tips to help those who are just starting out.

In the desert outside the UAE’s capital, a vast film set is becoming a trusted shooting location for Hollywood, Bollywood and beyond. The Twofour54 complex is at the heart of a nascent movie industry, where government initiatives and eager young film-makers are combining to give the region its close-up.

The UAE-made animated comedy series ‘Freej’ is the hit that proved that there’s an appetite for Arab cartoons outside the Middle East and it returns to screens next year. Now that it’s making a comeback, Lammtara Studio’s Mohammed Saeed Harib is keen to show that the country’s creative scene is anything but a caricature.

Alserkal Avenue, a clutch of galleries and spaces in Dubai’s Al Quoz, has become a focal point for the region’s buzzing arts and culture scene. Meet the team behind the transformation.

Advertising is a billion-dollar business in the UAE. Despite social-media influencers and a growing online market, more than a fifth of the spend is still on good old-fashioned billboards. We report on this eye-catching industry.

We meet the studios and artisans installing hand-sculpted furniture, creating art from desert sand and adding a dash of nostalgia to clients’ work and home spaces. From one-off ceramics to industrial design, these firms are anything but a soft touch.

Meet the man pioneering sustainable neighbourhoods and dreaming up planet-friendly utopian cityscapes. Can his company, URB, break new ground?

Here’s our wish list of firms that we would commission to create the perfect HQ, home or hotel. Read on for the studios on the up, furniture firms to tap and developers with whom to develop a closer relationship. Let’s get going.

Fashion is about more than just good clothes; what we wear can be a statement of our ideals, heritage and taste. Monocle profiles three fashion companies putting big ideas into practice, from a shoe brand updating tribal classics to a clothing label embracing the UAE’s multiculturalism.

Wake up and smell the possibilities. Monocle meets the entrepreneurs and perfumers creating distinctive fragrances that look after our wellbeing and represent key elements of the uae’s history and heritage.

Despite its many kilometres of glorious coastline, the UAE’s beaches are becoming a more sophisticated draw and the battle for this prime waterfront is warming up.

Downtown Dubai’s breathtaking skyline might be awe-inspiring but, along with its neighbouring districts, it’s a highly liveable part of the city.

Quality of life is on the rise in the UAE’s first city. With blue-sky thinking from community-led businesses and blue-chip companies settling into shiny new offices, not to mention a world-beating cultural scene, Abu Dhabi has plenty to offer.

The districts spanning the Jumeirah Beach Road are some of the city’s most pleasant, where green space is ample, floor plans are generous and imaginative shopping and dining options are in plentiful supply.

Dazzling skyscrapers might grab your attention in the UAE but natural wonders abound – if you know where to look. Plant your flag here and a host of mountain activities, dune-nestled retreats and spectacular beaches are just a desert drive away.

Now that you’re more familiar with all things UAE, you’ll want to know where to rest your head, sate your appetite, quench your thirst and pique your curiosity. We’ve got it all covered in the following directory of the country’s key addresses.

Many entrepreneurs can trace their successful ventures back to a moment of clarity. Here the movers and shakers behind a crop of canny enterprises share their foundational breakthroughs.