Dubai: The Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development, known as Dubai SME, has announced a significant increase in its financial support for startups, allocating approximately AED44 million in funding for the year 2025. This reflects a growth of more than 25 percent compared to the AED35 million provided in 2024.
According to Emirates News Agency, Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Dubai SME, emphasized the institution's commitment to increasing funding annually. He highlighted its pivotal role in enabling companies to expand both locally and globally. Almheiri made these remarks during the first edition of the Future Majlis, which recognized and selected winning projects. He pointed out that the funding is mainly directed towards priority sectors within the economic agenda, with a focus on projects featuring scalable business models. The support is available to UAE nationals who meet the established criteria.
Almheiri further explained that the Future Majlis programme is designed to foster entrepreneurship, attract new talent, and prepare a new generation of founders capable of transforming innovative ideas into viable projects. This initiative aligns with the institution's goal of launching 27,000 projects by 2033. The three-day programme brought together participants from various backgrounds, working in groups to tackle real challenges posed by government and private entities, ultimately developing innovative ideas that can be transformed into startups with the institution's support.
The programme engaged around 50 participants, divided into eight teams, offering them opportunities to exchange expertise and develop practical solutions for establishing competitive new companies. The focus was on high-growth sectors such as technology, artificial intelligence, and logistics.
Regarding the criteria for selecting winning projects, Almheiri mentioned the emphasis on the founder's competence and expertise in the sector, alignment with priority sectors, and the project's potential to deliver added value to the economy. Support extends beyond winners to participating teams with promising ideas, as the institution assists in developing their business models and providing necessary support, whether through funding or facilitating access to markets and procurement opportunities.
Winners of the programme will receive prizes and tailored support based on each project's needs, including funding, mentorship, and connections to opportunities in both local and global markets. Among the winners, Majlis Al Rowad secured first place as an online platform connecting entrepreneurs and startups to foster growth. Basco, specializing in linking projects with logistics companies, and Tatoor Programme, a platform connecting SMEs with service providers, also received recognition.
Almheiri also mentioned specialized initiatives targeting promising sectors, such as technology support programmes and the Dubai Traders initiative, which aims to help companies enter the e-commerce sector via platforms like Noon and Amazon. He affirmed the institution's ongoing efforts to establish partnerships with specialized entities to further develop these sectors.
These initiatives collectively contribute to strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Dubai, solidifying its status as a regional and global hub for startups by offering an integrated system that includes funding, training, mentorship, and market access.