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From a time when Dubai played 'catch-up' with the more developed nations, the unprecedented growth and transformation of a 'skyline on crack' has been trenchantly progressive for the entrepot city. But when the Emirates won the rights to host World Expo 2020, the city conceptualised the AED 1 billion Dubai Future Accelerators (DFA) program to explore the 'opportunity' theme of the mega event and the unexplored potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. By building a knowledge-based economy and achieving a head-start in the realisation of sustainable development, the initiative sought to position Dubai as a 'global test bed for leading ideas and technologies', in collaboration with government entities across different sectors. Touted as the fastest growing program in the world, DFA aimed to bridge the 'implementation gap' and connect innovators with people who had the power to make it real. But with 90% of global accelerators and incubators destined to fail, would the Emirates' DFA overcome the challenges prevalent in the industry? Or would a weakened global economy and the rising pressures of hosting World Expo 2020, overshadow Dubai's aspirations to realise the innovations of tomorrow today?