Lokalee has set sail from Dubai, the financial hub of the United Arab Emirates.
The choice of the golden Emirate made business sense for Lokalee’s founders, who found in the city a perfect location to launch their ground-breaking application meant to transform hospitality experiences based on cutting-edge, AI technology. But why Dubai? Simply put, the city makes sense, from all perspectives: its unparalleled location, visionary strategies, passion for innovation, fast economic growth, advantageous business climate, cultural diversity, and more. Firstly, Dubai’s population has exceeded 3 million people, boasting 200 different nationalities from the four corners of the world, turning the Emirate into a real melting pot and an ideal backdrop for a culture-promoting app like Lokalee. This cultural diversity also makes multinational talents available in abundance to support the city’s fast-growing business community, which Lokalee is striving to become part of, especially in light of Dubai’s favorable business climate. In addition to security and stability, the city offers major advantages and facilities to investors and entrepreneurs wishing to set up their businesses in the Emirate. This includes exclusive exchange and networking opportunities with decision-makers, peers and industry champions through a year-round calendar of international conferences and events covering the entire economic spectrum, from finance and healthcare to hospitality and tourism. This means unparalleled exposure for a new app like Lokalee. Dubai is also a city of novelty and innovation, featuring Dubai Internet City, a bustling hub for the world’s biggest tech companies and startups alike. The Emirate is at the forefront of technology, always encouraging citizens to embrace the future through digitization, including the implementation of a robust e-government strategy, among others. This passion for innovation can be felt at the national level too. In the UAE, 98% of the population use facebook and WhatsApp, while 80% use Youtube. The country’s e-commerce industry is estimated to reach USD 17 billion in 2025, with a whopping 73% of the population being online consumers. Love for innovation and technology is not slowing down anytime soon, especially that over 83% of the UAE population is made of Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z, who are always connected to their smart devices and looking for the next big app out there, such as Lokalee. And there’s more. Dubai has proven to be a destination of choice for residence, business and pleasure all at once, unlocking exceptional lifestyle standards, for both residents and visitors from around the world. In 2019, just before the pandemic, Dubai welcomed over 16 million visitors. Starting 2021 onwards, the numbers started climbing again, going from 7.28 million to 11.4 million international visitors by October 2022, illustrating the Emirate’s undeniable appeal and placing it in fourth place among the top 5 most visited cities in the world, behind Bangkok, Paris and London. From architectural wonders like Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, The Palm Islands and The Museum of the Future; world-class shopping malls like Dubai Mall; world-renowned landmarks like Dubai Fountain, The Miracle Garden, Global Village, Atlantis, Madinat Jumeirah, and Ski Dubai; and countless culinary, sports, and adventure experiences; the city has something to offer to every kind of traveler. The Emirate is also home to 755 hotels, including over 150 establishments by leading global hospitality groups who have already partnered with Lokalee. For all these reasons, and many more, Lokalee has chosen Dubai to kick-off its operations. It is truly a global city for a global application.