Dubai SME members awarded $305m in contracts in 2022

Government Procurement Programme recorded contracts and purchases worth $2.6 million over the past two decades

View of the Dubai skyline. The emirate has unveiled various support measures for SMEs and businesses over the years. Pawan Singh / The National

Dubai SME members, including Emirati entrepreneurs and national companies, won contracts and purchases worth Dh1.12 billion ($305 million) in 2022 – a 21.5 per cent year-on-year increase – as part of the UAE's efforts to support entrepreneurship.

Under the Government Procurement Programme, Dh553 million worth of contracts were awarded by Dubai government entities to these small and medium-sized enterprises and Dh88 million by federal government bodies, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, said in a tweet on Wednesday.

Semi-government bodies awarded Dubai SME members Dh268 million in contracts, while the private sector provided Dh214 million in contracts, Sheikh Hamdan said.

The move shows “Dubai's commitment to supporting Emirati entrepreneurs and empowering SMEs”, he said.

“We will continue to support entrepreneurial creativity in Dubai … and look forward to seeing new success stories to go global from Dubai.”

The Government Procurement Programme, an initiative of the emirate's Department of Economy and Tourism, has awarded contracts and purchases worth Dh9.6 billion over the past two decades since Dubai SME's inception in 2002, the Dubai Media Office said in a statement.

Dubai, the commercial and trading hub of the Middle East, has unveiled various support measures for SMEs, including financing facilities and mentorship opportunities.

SMEs account for about 98 per cent of companies operating in the UAE. Developing the sector and accelerating the growth of start-ups are priorities for the UAE government under its development strategy for the next 50 years.

Last year, the UAE Ministry of Economy launched an updated programme to drive the country's goal of becoming a global leader for entrepreneurship.

The Entrepreneurial Nation 2.0 initiative seeks to develop more than 8,000 SMEs and start-ups by 2030, the ministry said in October last year.

The Government Procurement Programme is helping to back the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and “opening new horizons” for Emirati entrepreneurs, Sheikh Hamdan said.

The D33 strategy is aimed at boosting the emirate’s competitiveness and future-readiness. The plan envisages a programme to support 30 private companies to achieve unicorn status ― worth more than $1 billion ― by 2033.

D33 also aims to make Dubai a global digital economy leader, the fastest growing and most attractive global business centre, a hub for sustainability and economic diversification, and an incubator and enabler of talent.

Dubai is a “centre for launching those with big ambitions” and “backing Emirati entrepreneurs is a priority”. Sheikh Hamdan said.

“The increase in the value of contracts awarded to Dubai SME members in 2022 underlines the confidence and trust in the local SME sector and its pivotal role in building a competitive and diversified economy,” said Helal Almarri, director general of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.

“We encourage increased support from government, semi-government, and private sector establishments to create more opportunities for Emirati entrepreneurs and pave the way for top-performing SMEs to grow into successful global enterprises.”