SME World 2016 summit discusses ideas on enabling global ambitions

The third edition of the largest entrepreneurship conference in the Middle East and North Africa region, SME World 2016, has been inaugurated in Dubai by Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO of Dubai SME.

He also presented the Disruptive Entrepreneur Awards 2016 to six winning SMEs in two categories, Start-up and Established SME Business. The summit was held under the auspices of the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises, Department of Economic Development, DED, of the Emirate of Dubai, and in partnership with SPI Group.

The summit aimed to stimulate the exchange of experiences and discuss ideas on enabling global ambitions and to promote networking opportunities between entrepreneurs of SMEs.

Delivering the keynote speech at SME World 2016, Al Janahi elaborated on how the UAE’s initiatives and actions are enabling global ambitions, for SMEs, which was the theme of the summit.

"Dubai was the first in the region to adopt a definition for SMEs, and at Dubai SME, we are focusing on a variety of initiatives to see entrepreneurial projects evolve from ideas to actual businesses, and then grow into global enterprises," Al Janahi said, referring to initiatives such as Dubai SME100, which ranks top-performing SMEs in the UAE to enable them grow into globally competent enterprises.

"Dubai realises its future is in creating a knowledge-based economy that sustains itself on innovation. And there is no better way to that future than investing in our SMEs, and enhancing the knowledge of people driving these enterprises," added Al Janahi.

Organised by SPI Group, UAE’s top SME platform, in partnership with Dubai SME, the agency of the Department of Economic Development in Dubai mandated to develop the SME sector, the one-day summit was attended by more than 2,500 entrepreneurs, business magnates, investors, heads of government departments and C-Suite executives. It hosted powerful keynote speeches from international speakers, engaging panel discussions, strategic workshops, an exhibition showcasing leading service providers and an art expo showcasing over 25 international artists.

"With SMEs already contributing over 60% of the country’s non-oil GDP, and likely to contribute as much as 70% by 2021, it is clear that this segment has a pivotal role in securing future prosperity, and we fervently believe the next generation of Microsoft technologies is an ideal fit for those businesses in the journey ahead," said Tareq Hijazi, Small and Mid-Market Solutions and Partners Group, Microsoft Gulf, the exclusive technology partner of the summit.

"Our participation in the SME World summit is part of a mission that we share with Dubai SME, and solidifies our commitment towards UAE in empowering businesses with tools that they can leverage, and unlock their potential to achieve more" he added.

Welcoming the delegates, panellists, partners and speakers, Shantanu AP, CEO of SPI Group, said, "SME World 2016 is a celebration of success and aims to help small and medium businesses emerge as leaders on a global scale. It is heartening to see the sheer number of businesses share our vision for unifying the UAE’s SME sector. Even as we have worked hard to organise this conference, it would not have seen the success it has without the support of our sponsors and our partners. I wish to thank everyone who has contributed and been associated with SME World 2016."

SME World 2016 is supported by Strategic SME Partner, Etisalat, Corporate Banking Partner, Emirates NBD, Sole Automotive Partner, Al Futtaim Toyota, Insurance Partner, AIG and Silver Sponsor, Oracle.

The SME Service Provider Expo at SME World 2016 helped SME service providers showcase their products and services, present their success stories and share their growth plans with industry, governments, investors and the general public. Panel discussions at the summit featured global thought leaders as they presented their insights on entrepreneurship. SME World 2016 featured insightful and engaging workshops with the industry’s leading thought-leaders.

SME World 2016 is the premier event for entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and business enablers from the MENA region. It provides some of the best opportunities for business growth and brings together leading entrepreneurs and businesses under one roof.

Source:WAM