Page 87 - KFED PR REPORT - APRIL 2026

Khalifa Fund participates in inaugural Abu Dhabi Global Entrepreneurship Festival

WAM
21st April 2026, 21:41 GMT+11
ABU DHABI, 21st April, 2026 (WAM) -- The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED) is
participating in the inaugural Abu Dhabi Global Entrepreneurship Festival, held under the patronage
of Sheikh Zayed bin Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan until 22nd April at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre
under the theme, "Your Impact. Our Economy's Pulse."

KFED's participation reflects its commitment to strengthening Abu Dhabi's SME landscape by
empowering Emirati entrepreneurs to scale their ventures, while providing networking opportunities
with investors and decision-makers.

As part of its participation, the Fund is launching the 'Funding on the Spot' initiative, an innovative
platform designed to facilitate entrepreneurs' access to financing during the festival by enabling
immediate eligibility assessments and providing on-site advisory support, including assistance with
documentation and application processes.

The initiative targets Emirati business owners aged 21 to 60 operating in Abu Dhabi, particularly
those in growth and expansion phases across priority sectors such as healthcare, education,
agriculture, information technology, tourism and industry.

Additionally, the 'Young Emirati Traders' competition was announced under the patronage of
Sheikha Rawdha bint Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in collaboration with the Khalifa Fund. The
initiative targets youth aged 6 to 18, introducing them to entrepreneurship through hands-on
learning while building awareness of emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and clean
energy, alongside promoting financial literacy in partnership with banks and financial institutions.

As part of the festival programme, Khalifa Al Kuwaiti, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship
Sector at KFED, participated in a panel discussion titled 'Building Abu Dhabi as a Global Founder
Platform', which explored Abu Dhabi's position within the global entrepreneurship ecosystem and
the role of alignment between government policies, capital flows and enabling institutions in
supporting start-up growth.

During the session, he outlined KFED's perspective on institutional support for entrepreneurs, the
challenges facing businesses in early growth and scaling stages, and mechanisms to balance
access to finance with long-term commercial sustainability.
In parallel, the Fund is delivering a series of specialised workshops aimed at strengthening
entrepreneurial capabilities, including 'From Concept to First Revenue', 'Financial Strategy and
Pricing Confidence' and 'Strategic Customer Discovery'. These sessions aim to bridge the gap
between theory and practice, supporting both early-stage founders and scaling businesses while
aligning with market needs.
KFED and the Abu Dhabi Youth Business Council (ADYBC) also signed a memorandum of
understanding. Khalifa Al Kuwaiti and Mansoor Al Sayegh, Chairman of ADYBC, signed the
agreement, which aims to enhance Abu Dhabi's entrepreneurship ecosystem by empowering young

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dhabi-global-entrepreneurship-festival