Page 652 - INVESTOPIA ENGLISH PR REPORT FEBRUARY - MARCH 2025 (International)

3/19/25, 2:02 PM Future100 initiative discusses fostering innovation in tech and -

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 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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