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4/25/24, 3:44 PM Ministry Of Economy Organizes 'National Forum For Smes Government Procurement' Forum To Help Maximize Emirati Entrepren…
During his participation in the forum, H.E. Bin Touq conducted an inspection tour of the venue
reviewing tenders and contracts offered by federal entities and national companies. In

addition, H.E. held a meeting with the event partners that include participating entities.

“The forum represents a significant opportunity to raise federal entities and national
companies' awareness on the importance of procurements in driving the growth of the

national economy. Additionally, it helps facilitate participation of owners of national SMEs in
government tenders slated to be released this year. Furthermore, the event facilitates direct

communication between contract-awarding bodies and Emirati entrepreneurs in order to
identify challenges faced by both parties and address them. It also enhances dialogue with

financing bodies to leverage their product offerings to support government procurement
efforts,” said H.E. Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy.

The Undersecretary added:“The forum enhances the Government Procurements for Local

SMEs performance indicator launched by the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Finance
in June of last year to gauge the level of commitment by federal entities to allocate a specific

percentage as mandated by Federal Law no. 2 of 2014 on SMEs. It stipulates that 10 per cent
of the total value of contracts and tenders must be allocated for members of the National
Program for SMEs. The limit is five percent for government companies where the federal

government holds 25% or more of the shares.”

In his speech at the forum, H.E. urged Emirati entrepreneurs to join the National Program for
SMEs and benefit from the advantages it offers. H.E. noted that this move would contribute to
the growth of their businesses and enhance their participation in government procurement.

The forum showcased contracts and tenders from over 30 federal entities and national

companies, totaling more than AED 2.3 billion in value, available for small and medium

enterprises. These entities utilized digital platforms to present the terms of the tenders and
contracts directly to Emirati entrepreneurs and forum attendees, offering them guidance and
support. Additionally, various initiatives supporting Emirati SME-owners were introduced

during the event. The forum also featured seven diverse dialogue sessions with a total of 26
speakers participating in discussions.

The first session titled 'Policies, legislation and initiatives to support SMEs' showcased a

number of objectives outlined in Federal Law no. 2 of 2014 concerning SMEs. It emphasized
their role in driving the growth of Emirati SMEs, while also exploring the means to further

cooperation and forge partnerships between relevant government entities. The session was

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