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companies. In addition, he held a meeting with the event partners that include
participating entities.

Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Economy, said, “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."

He 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 percent or more of the shares.”

In his speech at the forum, he urged Emirati entrepreneurs to join the National Program
for SMEs and benefit from the advantages it offers. He 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 utilised 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
emphasised 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 attended by Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Under-Secretary of the
Ministry of Economy; and Younis Haji Al Khoori, Under-Secretary of Ministry of Finance.

The second session, titled ‘Inspiring stories in the world of government tenders’
highlighted a collection of success stories from owners of national SMEs. Attendees had
the opportunity to hear about the challenges and obstacles that these entrepreneurs
encountered while securing bids and tenders from government entities, along with the
strategies they employed to overcome them. The session highlighted the tools these
entrepreneurs relied on to enhance their prospects of obtaining these tenders.

https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/other/ministry-of-economy-organises-national-forum-for-
smes-government-procurement/ar-AA1nA81e