Flight Coverage
Bring one of the following:
- 8 qualified Growth Track startups
- 6 qualified Founder Pro startups
- 3 accredited investors
- 1 ecosystem partner with pavilion
Be the Connector
DTE Ambassador Program 2026
Fly to Dubai. Build Global Bridges. Join an exclusive network of global tech leaders, earn your way to Dubai, and shape the future of innovation at the world’s premier tech experience.
The opportunity
Why Join the Ambassador Program?
The DTE Ambassador Program is more than networking—it’s your gateway to becoming a global tech influencer while building meaningful connections that drive innovation.
Global Network Access
Connect with tech leaders, investors and entrepreneurs from across the DTE network.
VIP Dubai Experience
Earn flights, accommodation, and exclusive access to GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star.
Speaking Opportunities
Share your expertise on stage at one of the world’s largest tech events.
Investment Pipeline
Access private investor events and funding opportunities for your network.
Media Recognition
Get featured in DTE’s global marketing campaigns and press coverage.
Year-Round Support
Ongoing partnership with the DTE team and access to exclusive resources.
Earn your place
How to Earn Your Trip
Clear, achievable goals that reward your networking efforts with an all-expenses-paid Dubai experience.
- All-expenses-paid
- VIP Networking
- Dubai Experience
Hotel Coverage
Bring one of the following:
- 5 additional startups (10 total)
- 3 additional investors (6 total)
- 1 additional sponsor contribution
Coverage is confirmed by the DTE team once your referrals are verified. Sponsor referrals also count toward both tiers — talk to us about the qualifying level.
What you do
Your Ambassador Role
As a DTE Ambassador, you’ll be at the forefront of global tech innovation, connecting ecosystems and driving meaningful change.
Network Promotion
Leverage your email lists, social media, and events to promote DTE.
Talent Recruitment
Identify and recruit high-quality founders, investors, and sponsors.
Partnership Building
Coordinate with the DTE team to ensure successful delegation outcomes.
Dubai Delegation
Lead and support your recruited network during the Dubai experience.
Program timeline
Your Journey to Dubai
Your journey to becoming a global tech connector starts now.
Now
Registration & Recruitment
Sign up as an ambassador and start building your delegation.
Before you travel
Delegate Onboarding
Confirm your delegation and coordinate travel arrangements.
7–11 December 2026
Dubai Experience
Lead your delegation at DTE, GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star.
Referral standard
Qualified Referral Criteria
Every referral is verified before it counts toward your flight or hotel coverage.
What Counts as Qualified:
- Startup with MVP, traction, or actively raising capital
- Verified accredited investor with investment portfolio
- Active ecosystem organization (accelerator, chamber, etc.)
- All referrals must register through your unique ambassador link
Not sure whether a contact qualifies? Email [email protected] before you make the introduction.
- 25+Team Members
- 150+Years Experience
- 500+Startups Supported
- $2B+Investment Deployed
Who this suits
Connectors, not salespeople
The programme works for people who already sit at the centre of a network and are trusted inside it. It does not work as a commission scheme.
Community and programme leaders
Running an accelerator, a startup week, a founder community or an angel group. You already know which companies in your orbit are ready for an international stage and which are a year away — that judgement is the whole value.
Operators with a full contact list
Founders, ex-founders and investors whose recommendation carries weight because they have nothing to gain from making a bad one. An introduction from you is worth more than any amount of outbound.
People already crossing the bridge
Consultants, lawyers and advisors working between the U.S. and the Gulf. You see the companies weighing a move before anyone else does, and you know what makes an entry succeed or stall.
The commitment
What it actually involves
Less than people expect. The programme is built around quality of referral, not volume of activity.
- Refer companies and investors you would vouch for. A handful of good introductions beats a long list. We would rather have five you stand behind than fifty you forwarded.
- Make the introduction properly. A warm handover — why this company, why now, why Dubai — is what makes the difference between a referral and a lead.
- Tell us when something is not a fit. The fastest way to lose a network’s trust is to send it somewhere it did not belong, and that damages you more than us.
- Represent the programme where it makes sense. On a panel, in a newsletter, in a community you already run. Never where it would feel like an advertisement.
Ambassadors are not paid a commission per referral. The programme is structured around earning a place on the delegation itself — see the criteria above — because a referral made for a fee is worth less to everyone, including the person receiving it.
Ready to bring your network to Dubai?
Ambassadors lead their delegation at GITEX GLOBAL 2026, 7–11 December 2026, Expo City Dubai. Applications are reviewed by the DTE team.