In 2025, Agility Global launched two initiatives in partnership with startAD, both aimed at fostering the next generation of Emirati entrepreneurs. These initiatives will empower young innovators and business leaders by equipping them with the tools, mentorship, and skills needed to build scalable ventures. A particular emphasis is support for Emirati women in entrepreneurship.

The first initiative, the University Student Entrepreneurship Program, supports up to 20 students from NYUAD and the wider UAE. The students are upskilled and receive guidance on various aspects of the venture creation process. They learn about identifying market gaps, formulating business models, and creating minimum viable products. Agility Global’s contribution is instrumental in providing structured training and upskilling, ensuring students gain practical insights into entrepreneurship and innovation.

In parallel from February to August 2025, Agility Global is supporting the Impact Hub for Emirati Women Achievers, a pioneering program dedicated to empowering visionary Emirati women in business and innovation.

Studies highlight a notable increase in women entrepreneurs in the UAE over the last decade, driven by government and private-sector initiatives. A recent study by Mastercard found that 84% of women in the UAE are considering starting their own business and indicated that a greater proportion of women (49%) than men (48%) identifies as entrepreneurs, reflecting the country’s rapidly evolving business landscape.

Despite significant strides in female entrepreneurship in the UAE, challenges remain. A recent report by Visa found that access to funding remains a critical challenge for UAE women entrepreneurs, with 57% of women-owned businesses in the UAE relying on personal finances. This makes programs like the Impact Hub essential for equipping women with the skills and networks needed to succeed.

Through this program, Emirati women innovators benefit from expert coaching, skills training, focused on transformational leadership and catalyzing innovation ecosystems. The initiative facilitates participation in digital and in-person forums, creating opportunities for professional growth and collaboration.

Agility supports Education for Employment (EFE) to help them enable more young people to obtain employment or start businesses across the Middle East. In this partnership Agility has provided resources for EFE to develop curriculum and training materials for young people to learn how to use AI to obtain and retain employment, as well as other training materials for digital and financial literacy, as well as technology skills for women. The Agility-EFE partnership will enable EFE to reach tens of thousands of young people with training that will help improve their skills, as well as to obtain and retain employment or start businesses.

Agility partners with Women in Logistics Africa (WILA) to provide free training and education to women working in or seeking work in the supply chain and logistics industry. In 2024 Agility provided resources for 20 women to attend an introduction to logistics and supply chain course which enabled the women to receive certificates of completion to help them gain employment in the logistics industry. In 2023 Agility sponsored internships with mulitple supply chain and logistics organizations for 25 women.

Agility partners with the Clarisse Machanguana Foundation (CMF) and a local school near the Agility Logistics Park in Maputo, Mozambique. In this program Agility re-fitted a classroom and converted it into a computer lab and learning space. Agility provides resources for electrical infrastructure, furniture and related classroom resources. The classroom will be used each year by about 800 students from grades 1-12. Agility has begun the process of converting a second classroom for the same purposes to increase the scale of technology education in this school.

Agility supports International Rescue Committee (IRC) employment training programs in Cote D’Ivoire. In coordination with Ivorian NGO PRO-Jeunes, IRC provided skills development and training to 731 young people.

In one program, Agility provides classroom space at its Abijan Logistics Park, as well as computers, internet access and funding for free training. The on-site training includes life skills, ICT, entrepreneurial skills and digital marketing. The training program has multiple groups of approximately 20 students each taking classes at the Agility Training Center.

A second program provides agriculture and agribusiness training at a local community farm and includes instruction in traditional farming and fish farming, including how to prepare, build, maintain and manage productive farming operations.

The partnership between PRO-Jeunes, IRC and Agility has proved to be exceptionally effective. Due to its success, in 2023 the Ivorian government also contributed funding and helped to manage these local programs using government facilities, land and resources. IRC and Agility will continue supporting the ICT, life skills and entrepreneurial skills development program, as well as work with the agricultural skills development program in other areas.