Page 532 - INVESTOPIA ENGLISH PR REPORT FEBRUARY - MARCH 2025 (International)

3/19/25, 1:27 PM Future100 initiative discusses fostering innovation in tech and - SOUTHEAST - NEWS CHANNEL NEBRASKA
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 accelerate their

growth. The stories presented emphasized that investment opens new horizons for

success and paves the way for achieving distinguished achievements in an advanced

economic environment.

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