I moved to the UAE from Europe in 2021. Dubai’s networking scene felt fully covered; Abu Dhabi, to me, was missing a high-quality networking community to capture the valuable profiles the city has attracted over the years.

That is the starting point. Abu Dhabi has attracted top profiles and founders, and for most of them visibility runs through a narrow door: get into one of the big ecosystems in the capital, or get backed by one of the big funds. Good companies that do neither stay invisible, however good their product or service may be.

I think visibility starts somewhere else. A great product needs a community around it, because it is the community that makes a product big. First people know you, then the brand exists, then the money and the large companies take an interest. That is an undeniable sequence, and Offline has been created to help companies from their initial stages up until the moment we can celebrate their success.

We aim to connect you with the people who can help you grow, and above all to give your start-up visibility inside the community. One afterwork a month where you can show the community what you are building; padel matches you can start or join; plans of every kind (F1, off-roading, golf, karting or anything else) every now and then; and a dedicated app that keeps the introductions alive in between.

Membership is free and invite-only. Every application is checked against LinkedIn, so the quality of the profiles is guaranteed. Offline never runs the venue and never takes a payment: you pay your own consumption at the bar, or your share of the court.

I attend every afterwork. Come and say hello. And if you have a question before you apply, reach out on Instagram or by email. See you at the next one!