Public and private sector organizations join hands to support national entrepreneurship development

Launched in 2004, the programme is designed to provide national business men and women with managerial tools that they can use to establish, develop and manage their own businesses.

This edition of DED's Diploma programme has the active support of large corporate organizations including Dubai Holding which is the Diamond Sponsor and National Bank of Dubai and Emarat which are the Golden Sponsors. Al Khayat Real Estate, Al Tomooh, Al Serkal Group and Dubai Bank are the Silver sponsors for the programme which is also supported in the media by organizations like Al Aqariya TV and Al Bayan.

Mr. Khalid Al Kassim, Deputy Director General for Planning and Development, DED, said in his inaugural speech: "The UAE has benefited strongly from the contribution of the SMEs and has witnessed strong economic growth in recent years. In order to sustain this growth and guarantee its stability, it is important to ensure that there is adequate contribution from UAE national entrepreneurs as well as from our expatriate members. There is therefore an urgent need to enhance and upgrade the activities of nationally owned and managed SMEs and create a climate of growth for them in Dubai. "

"The DED's initiative to offer a Professional Diploma for national SMEs was launched with the objective to encourage our national entrepreneurs to set up and manage their own businesses and thus contribute to the local and regional economic growth," said Mr. Al Kassim. "This edition of the diploma is also extremely special, because it is a collective effort from many like-minded organisations and has brought together several big names in the corporate sector under one umbrella," he added.

Since the programme was launched late in 2004 by the DED, a total of 48 students have registered for the programme, with 22 students successfully completing the course. The DED has also limited the number of students in each edition of the Diploma to ensure that the students are provided with individual attention.

Al Kassim concluded his speech saying, "The DED will continue its efforts in providing national entrepreneurs with the necessary support and services to build their own businesses. We look forward to working closely with private sector organisations, government bodies and the continued support from the members of the media in order to achieve this mission."