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3/4/25, 10:43 AM Future100 Initiative Discusses Enhancing UAE’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem - UrduPoint
funds, business incubators and accelerators, and global technology and innovation

companies.

These discussions were part of Investopia 2025, held under the patronage of His

Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime

Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court

The initiative featured 15 sessions with 48 speakers, including ministers, senior
officials, and industry experts. Discussions focused on artificial intelligence,

emerging technologies, tech-driven entrepreneurship, the future of SMEs,

innovative investment strategies, and the role of technology in financial models.

Other topics included mechanisms to support SMEs in expanding within the new

economy and the significant role of female entrepreneurs in driving positive
impacts on society and the national economy.

The opening session featured Alia Al Mazrouei and Sarah Shaw, Executive

Director of the National CSR Fund (Majra), who highlighted the initiative’s role in
empowering enterprises in future economy sectors. They explored strategies for

supporting entrepreneurship and ensuring sustainability while reinforcing

the UAE’s status as a global business hub.

Alia Al Mazrouei emphasised that Future100 has become a key enabler for SME

growth in the UAE’s new economy, helping them expand into regional and
global markets. She noted that the UAE’s leadership has established a competitive

legislative framework that attracts entrepreneurs and startups worldwide, providing

essential initiatives for their success.

SMEs currently account for 94 percent of all businesses in the UAE, with 25,000

founded by Emirati youth in 2024 alone. The country is home to over

50 government and private business incubators and accelerators, contributing to

its recognition as the top global destination for business and economic activities in

2024, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). The UAE also
ranked first globally in the GEM Entrepreneurship Index for 2023-2024 for the third

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