Dubai Internet City was announced in 1999 and was set to attract some of the world’s largest IT companies to the region. Urban legend states that H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum offered Microsoft a free 99 year lease in exchange for the world’s largest Microsoft sign, which they duly erected. There is probably a document somewhere that clarifies whether this is true or not, but we haven’t looked for it as we like the legend.
Today DIC is home to Oracle, Facebook, Cisco, Dell, and many many more. The area geographically is in between the Arabian Gulf and the main Dubai highway, Sheikh Zayed Road. In 1999 there was very little in that area – it was mostly desert in fact. Today DIC is in an almost central position thanks to the development of Dubai Marina, TECOM, and the ongoing expansion of Jebel Ali.
Dubai Internet City has been used for the past 15 years as a regional base for Fortune 500 companies looking to access the MENASA markets. DIC is one of Dubai’s success stories.