Strange Tech in the UAE
A London studio since 2019, licensed in Dubai Silicon Oasis. We design and build websites, web apps and digital products, and our UAE company, STRXNGE TECH - FZCO, contracts our work in the Emirates.
Downtown Dubai at sunset · Photo: James Watson
Why the UAE, why Dubai
“London gave us credibility. Dubai gives us reach. Same standards, bigger map.”
We've built for UAE companies since 2024 and set up here in 2025. The figures below show why. Every one links to its source.
Museum of the Future, Dubai · Photo: Haris khan
50%
of UAE government sectors and services moving to agentic AI within two years
In April 2026 the UAE Cabinet set a two-year timeline to move half of federal government sectors, services and operations onto AI agents that act and decide on their own. The UAE appointed a Minister of State for AI in 2017.
Source: Dubai Media Office, 23 April 2026; World Government Summit
73.3%
of the UAE's working-age population uses generative AI, first globally
Microsoft's AI Diffusion Report for the second quarter of 2026 puts the UAE first of every country it measures. The global average is 18.8%.
Source: Microsoft, 22 September 2026
1,253
greenfield FDI projects in Dubai in 2025, first in the world
Dubai ranked first globally for greenfield foreign direct investment projects for the fifth year running, on the Financial Times' fDi Markets data. Project numbers rose 10.5% on 2024 and brought US$8.83bn of capital.
2x
Dubai's economy by 2033, under the D33 agenda
Launched in January 2023, the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 aims to double the size of Dubai's economy within a decade, through 100 projects and AED 32 trillion in economic targets.
Source: Dubai Protocol, 4 January 2023
100%
of Dubai government transactions digital since December 2021
Dubai became the world's first paperless government in 2021: all 45 government entities, more than 1,800 services, and more than AED 1.3bn saved.
10,000
AI companies the UAE is aiming for by 2030, up from 1,500 today
The Minister of State for AI set the 10,000 target in October 2025. DIFC subsidises its AI licence to US$1,500 a year, the federal R&D tax credit covers up to 50% of qualifying spend up to AED 5m, and Dubai Chambers is training more than 14,000 Dubai companies to use AI agents.
Source: Khaleej Times, 12 October 2025; DIFC AI Licence; Ministry of Finance, 18 March 2026; Gulf News, September 2026
7 sq km
Dubai Silicon Oasis, where our UAE company is licensed
Dubai Silicon Oasis is a technology park and free zone set up by law in 2005, now run by the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority. It's a qualified free zone under UAE corporate tax law, and home to startups, SMEs and multinationals. STRXNGE TECH - FZCO holds its trade licence here.
Source: Dubai Silicon Oasis
Dubai runs on Gulf Standard Time, UTC+4, all year. That puts it three or four hours ahead of London and four hours behind Singapore, so a client in either can reach us inside their own working day.
London
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Dubai
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The desert edge of Dubai · Photo: Ahmed Galal
Our UAE company
UAE work is contracted through our Dubai company, not through a reseller or an overseas parent. Levi Strange runs it and is your single point of contact.
Public sector work in the UK and UAE→
Contracting entity
STRXNGE TECH - FZCO
Approved on the UAE Federal Supplier Register, the procurement platform federal ministries and authorities buy through
Registered on Dubai eSupply, the Government of Dubai's procurement platform
Arabic calligraphy at night · Photo: Nazeera Gazzah
Arabic and English
Our team speaks Arabic. Any work that needs to be delivered in Arabic and English will be delivered in both.
Layouts, navigation and components mirror for Arabic. We plan for it from the first wireframe.
Arabic interface text is checked by the Arabic speakers on the team who build the product, including a senior developer who reads and writes formal Arabic.
UAE work
Dubai · Fractional CPO, Flutter app
A Dubai health-tech venture: a patient app that verifies each dose from a photo, and an insurer dashboard that scores adherence. Rebuilt from a Figma file and on the UAE App Store in six weeks, alongside the product roadmap, risk register and pitch preparation for the Create Apps Championship, where it is a finalist (final on 7 October 2026).
UAE Health & Wellness Startup of the Year 2025
Read the case study→
UAE · Brand, UX, UI, WordPress
Brand identity, website UX and UI, and a WordPress build, delivered in about a month.
Live and maintained since 2024
UAE · Positioning, messaging, Next.js
Positioning, messaging, service architecture and a Next.js website for an independent renovation oversight firm working on Dubai villas.
Brand to launch
Read the case study→
Send the brief, the tender reference or a paragraph on the problem. We reply within 24 hours.
Downtown Dubai at blue hour · Photo: ZQ Lee