Page 463 - INVESTOPIA ENGLISH PR REPORT FEBRUARY - MARCH 2025 (International)

3/19/25, 12:49 PM Future100 initiative discusses fostering innovation in tech and - KFOL
future economy sectors and support their expansion into regional and global

markets.

She highlighted that thanks to the UAE's visionary leadership, the country has

successfully established a competitive legislative framework that attracts

entrepreneurs and startups worldwide, providing the necessary initiatives and

enablers for their success. SMEs currently account for 94% of all businesses in the

UAE, with 25,000 SMEs founded by Emirati youth in 2024 alone. The UAE is home to
over 50 government and private business incubators and accelerators, contributing

to its recognition as the best 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

consecutive year, excelling in key indicators such as financing, market accessibility,

and government support.

H.E. Al Mazrouei underscored that developing national entrepreneurship is a

strategic priority for the UAE. It forms a core pillar of the country's economic

agenda, led by the Ministry of Economy, in collaboration with federal and local

government entities, the private sector, and academic and research institutions.

She outlined the UAE's new entrepreneurship ecosystem initiatives, designed to

enhance the country's competitiveness and increase the success rate of

entrepreneurs from 30% to 50% by the next decade. Notable initiatives include

Riyada Fund, which allocates AED 300 million to support entrepreneurial ventures

and the UAE Entrepreneurship Council, which aims to unify national efforts to
accelerate SME growth and strengthen collaboration between key stakeholders. In

this context, she encouraged entrepreneurs and startups to leverage these enablers

and incentives, along with the Future100 initiative.

The Future100 session concluded by highlighting inspiring investment stories from
companies in the Future100 initiative, where entrepreneurs reviewed their

investment journeys and the strategies that enabled them to obtain funding and

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