Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi
The small and medium enterprises sector represents one of the important priorities in the sustainable economic development strategies adopted by the United Arab Emirates.
From this standpoint, the government of the UAE has made great strides during the past period in organizing and developing this sector and enhancing its contribution to the GDP, which has strengthened the country's position regionally and globally in this regard. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, the UAE is the first in the Arab world and fifth in the world on the Global Entrepreneurship Index for 2019, which is one of the main indicators of the national agenda for the UAE Vision 2021, under the axis of "a competitive knowledge-based economy based on innovation."
Federal Law No. (2) of 2014 regarding small and medium enterprises and enterprises is a translation of the state’s vision to develop national entrepreneurship to advanced levels globally, by providing a supportive environment for entrepreneurs and encouraging a pioneering model of incubators and accelerators for medium, small and micro companies.
The establishment of the National Program for Small and Medium Enterprises and Enterprises under the umbrella of the Ministry of Economy came to be an effective institutional tool in implementing relevant government policies in cooperation with the concerned authorities, launching programs and initiatives to enable entrepreneurs and support them in entering the labor market, establishing a culture of innovation and encouraging research and development, And enhancing the benefit of small and medium-sized companies from the benefits and incentives granted to them by the law.
The national program works to continuously expand the range of its services using modern and innovative methods to serve entrepreneurs. Hence, we are pleased to launch the new and developed version of the electronic platform of the National Program for Small and Medium Enterprises and Enterprises.
We will, through the new platform, be keen on providing an effective communication channel with entrepreneurs, developing a database of membership projects, diversifying the services provided to them, providing all official data, information and statistics related to the sector, facilitating Emirati small and medium-sized companies joining the program and taking advantage of the important advantages that it offers to members Such as support, training, development, participation in external exhibitions, promotion, marketing, financing facilitation, exemptions, government procurement, and others.
The process of developing the small and medium-sized enterprises sector in the UAE is continuous and accelerating, and it is a pillar of our vision for long-term development, as explained by the national plans for the fiftieth and the determinants of the UAE Centennial 2071. Its ability to achieve commercial success, competition and growth, and to enhance the leadership of the UAE globally in this vital sector.
