- 5th edition of the region’s most inspiring entrepreneurship summit themed ‘Building a Great Enterprise’ was held in Dubai last week.
- 1000+ attendees including entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, heads of government departments and C-suite executives
- Organised by SPI Greatsands Group in partnership with Dubai SME
Dubai, UAE: After a successful run over the past four years, SME World 2018, the fifth edition of the most inspiring entrepreneurship conference in the UAE, was held on April 17, 2018 at the luxurious Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai. The summit celebrated the hopes and ambitions of the region’s aspiring entrepreneurs and cherished every innovative mind that seeks to bring change, every leader who aims to rise and every investor willing to take risks to create value.
Organized by SPI Greatsands group, UAE’s formidable knowledge exchange platform, in partnership with Dubai SME, the agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai mandated to develop the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, the conference was attended by 1000+ entrepreneurs, business magnates, investors, heads of government departments and C-Suite executives.
This year, SME World boasted a line-up of interesting, engaging and interactive sessions to deliver knowledge in ways that left leaders intrigued and inspired. Themed ‘Building a Great Enterprise’, this year’s agenda consisted of keynotes from renowned and established speakers, interactive panel discussions involving both speakers and delegates, a powerful elevator pitch, an exhibition showcasing leading service providers.
The summit also included an entrepreneurial networking session where all the discerned delegates got an opportunity to interact with and present their ideas to co-entrepreneurs and business leaders from their respective industries. SME World 2018 was proudly supported by Danube properties, Al Futtaim Toyota, Oracle, Intel and Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ).
His Excellency Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO of Dubai SME, said: “The UAE and Dubai, in particular, have long espoused a vision and set successive policies to promote an entrepreneurial spirit among the people. Our leadership has always considered small and medium enterprises to be the backbone of the economy, and has been consistently empowering organizations and individuals to come up with original, innovative ideas, and work in partnership with all stakeholders to implement them into projects that ensure the wellbeing of our people and the sustainable development of our country.”
“It is our mandate to support and develop the UAE’s local SME and entrepreneurship sector,” H.E. Al Janahi added. “With that in mind, Dubai SME works with various federal entities to establish an innovation-friendly business environment for start-ups – both on the mainland and in the free zones. This includes everything from reviewing laws and policies to on-the-ground initiatives that seek to empower all segments of society to come forward with their projects and ideas, where we provide them with the assistance they need to implement them. Partnering with SPI Greatsands group to organise SME World 2018 falls perfectly in line with these strategies and objectives.”
Ramy Jallad, Group CEO of RAKEZ, RAK Free Trade Zone and RAK Investment Authority said: “I always find it very exciting to gather entrepreneurs under one roof. Their drive and passion for their business ideas are truly inspirational and this is the kind of energy we want to cultivate in and outside of RAKEZ. We are truly happy to be part of SME World 2018, which is a perfect knowledge-sharing platform that empowers SMEs. Over the years, we have shown great support to this segment and have become an integral part in launching SMEs in the UAE. This event is surely just one of the many events and initiatives that we plan to take part of to continue promoting the entrepreneurial spirit in the country.”
Oracle NetSuite’s regional director Ahmed Sami says “NetSuite’s experience in helping some of the world’s biggest brands grow from start-ups to major international businesses means we know the many challenges facing start-ups and scale-ups as they grow. In order to retain the speed and agility that contributes to their early growth and success, companies need to make sure that they don’t stifle the culture and creativity that defines the organisation. Events such as SME World 2018 provide the practical advice and knowledge SMEs in the UAE can use to develop those processes as they transition from start-ups to scale-ups.”
Designed and conceptualized by SPI Greatsands group, Shantanu Phansalkar says: “The SME industry in the UAE has grown fourfold over the last few years and transformed itself into an ambitious and a competitive one. With the onset of technological advancement and digitalization, this year we wanted to explore the depths and intricacies of building a great business in today’s world. Our aim is to provide a platform to those who’ve changed the course of business operations in the country to share their knowledge and inspire others who might either use their expertise to grow, or who might partner with the leaders and accelerate their growth. We are confident that by allowing our delegates and well-known international business enthusiasts to interact and exchange ideas, SME World 2018 will become an important milestone in UAE’s SME operations.”
About Dubai SME:
Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED), Government of Dubai, aims to foster an entrepreneurial culture and develop a competitive SME sector for the Emirate of Dubai. The key strategies adopted by Dubai SME are: advocate a pro-business environment for developing entrepreneurship and SMEs, seed innovative start-ups and groom promising SMEs. Dubai SME’s vision is to make Dubai the centre for innovative SMEs to start, grow and expand their businesses, thus adding greater value to the economy of Dubai.
