H.E. Al Saleh: UAE attaches great significance to the SME sector and the program promotes the growth of UAE companies and the global reach of their exports

Abu Dhabi, November 18, 2022:  The Ministry of Economy honored 35 UAE companies, graduates of the ScaleUp Export  training program, which was launched by the Ministry in cooperation with global shipping and logistics company UPS under The Entrepreneurial Nation initiative in June 2022. The program is designed to help enhance the export capacity of UAE’s startups and SMEs by enhancing the flow of their products and services to global markets.

The ceremony was organized by the Ministry at its headquarters in Dubai, in the presence of H.E. Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, and representatives of UPS in the UAE, during which graduation certificates were awarded to the graduating Emirati companies.

The participants also got to sign exporting contracts with UPS to benefit from special pricing to ship their products and services to targeted foreign markets, which will help enhance their export and expansion capacities abroad. The companies also got the opportunity to attend 10 workshops including five sessions that focused on suitable market expansions for their products to India, Saudi Arabia, USA, United Kingdom, and Europe. In addition UPS delivered capacity building programs including topics such as logistics for e-commerce, customer experience, tariffs & customs regulations and provided technical consultations on export mechanisms to global markets.

H.E Al Saleh said: “The UAE attaches great significance to the SME sector as it is a key pillar to driving economic diversification and growth over the next 50 years. The Ministry of Economy, in line with The Entrepreneurial Nation’s goals, continues to strive to enhance the performance of this sector and elevate it to new competitive levels, while also developing the country’s entrepreneurial environment as per global best practices and in line with the principles of the 50.”

He added: “The ScaleUp Export program is designed to promote the growth of UAE’s startups by encouraging them to export their products and services to international markets and by offering all enablers to increase their export volumes as well. The program contributes to supporting the strategic goals of The Entrepreneurial Nation by providing an encouraging environment that is capable of creating successful unicorns in the country by 2031.”

The Ministry of Economy received more than 300 applications from SMEs to participate in the program with UPS last June. 35 companies were selected out of the total number of applicants, and the program took place over four months, starting from last July until October 2022.

The graduates of the ScaleUp Export program gained access to experts and advisers from various sectors and took advantage of one-on-one mentoring. The program facilitated technical and legal consultations, as well as special shipping prices.

Abbas Panju, Managing Director, Middle East & Central Asia, UPS said, 'Our customer first approach  enables us to support SMEs build their critical logistics strategies that enables them to reach international markets and grow their businesses. We thank the UAE Ministry of Economy for introducing empowering initiatives for SMEs such as the ScaleUp program. We are equally glad to hear from the participating SMEs on how the initiative have helped them to expand their businesses and learning imperatives for international trade.  At UPS, we believe that through public and private sector collaborations, together we can equip SMEs with advanced knowledge and skills needed to scale their operations and achieve sustainable growth.'

ScaleUp Export falls under the ScaleUp program, which is one of the three main tracks of The Entrepreneurial Nation, launched in cooperation with UPS. The ScaleUp Export program supports the export capacity of registered companies by offering them new and distinguished services. It also enhances the access of their products and services to global markets by providing insights on the suitable markets for their products and promoting their development to accommodate the targeted markets.

The Ministry of Economy launched the first phase of The Entrepreneurial Nation in November 2021, successfully providing AED 20 million to entrepreneurs and support to more than 1,000 projects by 500 entrepreneurs and owners of SMEs. It further established more than 35 partnerships, the largest of their kind, between the government the private sector, and prestigious international companies and institutions. The launch of the second phase of the project was announced by the Ministry at 42nd GITEX last October. Phase II includes the launch of 10 new programs in collaboration with a large group of international strategic partners, to achieve a fundamental shift in the entrepreneurship environment and support the global growth and expansion of UAE SMEs.

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