Budding Emirati entrepreneurs gather in Ajman to share experience and offer advice

About 30 budding entrepreneurs under 35 offered their experiences and advice to others such as starting on a chosen path at a young age, knowing their field inside-out and choose something they are passionate about.

AJMAN // Young Emiratis hoping to start businesses exchanged ideas at a forum organised by Ajman Youth Council.

About 30 budding entrepreneurs under 35 attended the event, which was also about how the youth council could assist them in their ventures.

Jamal Al Janahi, an Emirati businessman, said young entrepreneurs must love what they are doing and have a flair for it.

“I entered two businesses,” he said.

“The first was car polishing, which I have loved since a young age and it is my hobby.

“The second one I had and failed was about dresses.

“I heard about the second one and worked on it but it failed because I do not have a predilection towards it.

“So youths should choose where they can create what they love to succeed.”

Marwan Al Muhairi, director of the project management office at Ajman Municipality, talked about how some markets were saturated and the need, therefore, to teach budding entrepreneurs how to stand out in that market if they were determined to enter it.

“The commercial market is open today and we cannot control it because it is about supply and demand,” he said.

“We should educate them how to stand out and that will allow the project to continue.”

Abeer Al Shaali, executive manager at Gulf Crafts, said that teaching entrepreneurship from a young age was necessary to help prospective business owners understand what types of ventures they would excel in and what industries they were best to avoid.

“I never tried to establish a business when I was their age but what I see from the companies’ side is that we should start with the guidance from a young age, not after they finish their academic studies,” Ms Al Shaali said.

Maitha Hamdan, a young Emirati who attended the forum, was keen for the country’s newly established youth councils to help young people with their business plans and funding.

“There are youngsters that have the capital but they did not study the project they want to get involved in so we need to guide them and [they can] present their ideas to someone.

“Conversely, there are youths that have the capability and knowledge but lack the ­capital, so the council could adopt their projects,” she said. Muhammad Al Awadi, director of roads and infrastructure division at Ajman Municipality, said there was a problem with young people’s dedication.

“In our culture here, youth have got used to finishing their work and then they want to chill out, they do not want to have responsibility,” he said.

“And if they have a business, they just care about the income that they get every month.

“If they want to have a business here without any knowledge of the details of it, it will fail after a month or two.

“For this reason, they should know all the details and follow up with them in the first two years to be able to develop the project.”

Each emirate’s youth council reports to the national Emirates Youth Council, which is overseen by the Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Shamma Al Mazrui, who was present at Ajman workshop.

“This is the first initiative of Ajman Youth Council and soon we will inform you about the strategic plan for each local council,” she said.

“We work with youth to find the best solutions.The most important thing is for them to participate in achieving the most strategic plans for the country, and the superior plan is the national agenda and the UAE 2021 vision.”