Signing 55 contracts worth 78.6 million dirhams during the National Forum for Small and Medium Enterprises

ABU DHABI, 29 JANUARY / WAM / The Ministry of Economy and Tourism, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, concluded the work of the National Forum for Small and Medium Enterprises – Government Procurement 2026, with the signing of 55 contracts between 7 government agencies participating in the exhibition and Emirati small and medium enterprises with a financial value of 78.6 million dirhams.

The new partnerships aim to enhance the participation of small and medium enterprises in the government procurement system, and support their growth and sustainability, thus contributing to achieving national economic development goals.

It is expected that the forum will contribute to providing additional contracts for national small and medium enterprises worth 100 million dirhams during the coming period, which will enhance the opportunities for these projects to expand, allow them to participate in larger government projects, and support the growth and prosperity of national entrepreneurship.

The forum witnessed wide participation by federal and local authorities, national companies, and Emirati entrepreneurs, and was attended over two days by more than 1,300 people, which provided opportunities for direct communication and the establishment of new partnerships, in addition to workshops and dialogue sessions that discussed best practices in government procurement and how to enable national projects to contribute more to the national economy.

The forum contributed to reaching a set of positive outcomes, which had a direct impact in supporting entrepreneurs and owners of Emirati small and medium companies.

The forum provided a direct platform for communication between contract awarding bodies and Emirati entrepreneurs to identify the challenges between the two parties and work to address them, and to enhance communication with financing agencies to benefit from their product offers for supporting government procurement.

The forum sessions focused on educating small and medium enterprises about the mechanisms and procedures for entering government procurement tenders, and learning about the latest experiences in this regard, which supports the sustainability and growth of these projects, in addition to providing them with information about the supplier registration system and the most important tips that must be followed during the registration process and filling out data for government tenders.

The sessions highlighted the importance of enhancing UAE SMEs’ ​​benefit from the competitive advantages of the National Small and Medium Enterprises Program of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism.

The forum witnessed the signing of five memorandums of understanding by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, Etisalat Group “E&”, Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi Ports Company, and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company “Masdar”, which aim to open more contractual opportunities for entrepreneurs and Emirati small and medium companies in government procurement tenders, and enhance their capabilities for expansion and sustainable growth, which contributes to supporting the national economy and encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship.

The memorandums were signed by His Excellency Abdullah Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, on behalf of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. His Excellency Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Muaini, Assistant Undersecretary for the Intellectual Property Sector at the Ministry; Her Excellency Badriya Al Maidour, Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector at the Ministry, while it was signed by the partner entities by Captain Mohammed Juma Al Shamsi, Managing Director and CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports Group; Captain Majid Al Marzouqi, Chief Operating Officer and Guest Affairs at Etihad Airways; Marwan Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of Finance and Investments at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation; Saeed Al Zarouni, Chief Procurement Officer of E&G Group; Khalifa Yousef Al Muhairi, Chief Operating Officer of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company “Masdar”.

His Excellency Abdullah Al Saleh said that the outcomes resulting from the forum reflect the ministry’s orientation towards building an integrated system for government procurement based on partnership and integration with government agencies and major national companies, which contributes to the empowerment of small and medium enterprises, which represent about 95% of the total companies operating in the country, and whose contribution reaches 63% in the gross domestic product.

His Excellency pointed out that the memorandums of understanding contribute to expanding strategic partnerships and enhancing contracting opportunities for Emirati small and medium enterprises, and aim to establish a general framework for joint cooperation that contributes to supporting and empowering members of the National Program for Small and Medium Enterprises and Enterprises, by enhancing their participation in government procurement processes, and providing the necessary facilities that ensure fair and effective competition within procurement procedures, in addition to developing joint cooperation channels and mechanisms that contribute to improving procedures, exchanging relevant data, and facilitating national projects’ access to opportunities. Contractual available.

For his part, Saeed Al Zarouni, Chief Procurement Officer of the E& Group, stressed the importance of participating in initiatives that support small and medium enterprises in the country, because of their importance in supporting the local economy, assisting company owners to advance their projects, and ensuring successful business continuity.

Al Zarouni added that the E& Group has undertaken several incentive initiatives, such as simplifying the company registration process procedures and organizing several introductory workshops to encourage owners of small and medium enterprises, as part of a comprehensive strategy to empower the business sector in the country.

He expressed his thanks to those responsible for supporting small and medium enterprises in the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and the Ministry of Finance, stressing that the E& Group will continue to support all efforts made in this field.

The memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and Etihad Airways focused on expanding the participation of small and medium enterprises in procurement processes, tenders and supply chains related to the aviation sector, thus raising the readiness of national projects to deal with the requirements of advanced operational contracts, within a general framework aimed at empowering members of the national program and enhancing their access to contractual opportunities.

The memorandum of understanding with the Emirates Telecommunications Group (E&) aims to integrate small and medium-sized enterprises within the group’s technology procurement system, activate competition mechanisms and regulatory compliance, adopt the “Riyadah Card” as an official document for participation, and activate 5% of government purchases in accordance with the Small and Medium Enterprises Law, in addition to developing mechanisms for exchanging data and preparing periodic reports, in a way that enhances transparency and institutional integration.

The agreement signed with Abu Dhabi Ports Company included expanding the participation of national projects in the procurement system, supply chains and logistics services, and facilitating their access to contractual opportunities related to the maritime sector, in a way that supports local content and enhances the sustainability of economic growth.

Within the framework of supporting empowerment and capacity building, the memorandum of understanding with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation contributes to enhancing integration between awareness and empowerment programs and government procurement requirements, and facilitating the participation of entrepreneurs in contractual opportunities, which contributes to raising their readiness and the sustainability of their projects.

The memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company “Masdar” included enhancing the participation of small and medium enterprises in purchasing opportunities and initiatives related to the clean energy and sustainability sectors, by creating a supportive and facilitating environment, and developing cooperation channels that ensure the exchange of non-confidential data in accordance with legal frameworks, and in a manner consistent with the principles of transparency and equal opportunities and supports the directions of the green economy.

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