Dubai SME showcases services at Hatta Entrepreneur Forum

Senior officials led by Abdul Baset Al Janahi, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai SME, attended the forum, which was held separately for men and women.

The women's forum was held under the auspices of the Dubai Women's Association.

The core objective of the forum was to connect with people in and around Hatta, actively promote entrepreneurial talent, and spread awareness among them on the varied services available in Dubai to translate their business ideas into initiatives that eventually add value to the economy in the UAE.

Participants in the forum were briefed on the comprehensive services and support provided by Dubai SME in business start-up, incubation, funding, consultancy, capability building and business development with a view to encouraging entrepreneurship and enhancing competitiveness in the business sector in Dubai.

"Dubai SME is keen to spread awareness on our mandate and services as they are critical to achieving the Dubai Strategic Plan and enabling our young nationals to become future leaders. We believe there is vast entrepreneurship talent and potential in Hatta, like anywhere else in the Emirate of Dubai," remarked Al Janahi.

He added, "Dubai SME is working progressively towards providing as many people as possible with a strong platform to make use of their knowledge and creativity in diverse entrepreneurial initiatives and growing them into globally competitive enterprises."

"We are encouraged by the response from people in Hatta to this forum, especially their keenness to learn about our Intelaq programme for home-based businesses, and we thank community organisations that supported us in making this initiative successful," Al Janahi said.

Farid Karmostaji, Director of Entrepreneurship Development Division at Dubai SME, added, "Dubai SME has a rich training and education portfolio aimed to support SME capacity-building, over and above the financial, advisory and business development services as well as discounts and incentive we provide to start-up businesses and entrepreneurs."

Zahra Al Ansari, Senior Executive - Entrepreneur Support Services stated, "Various convenient options are available for entrepreneurs in Dubai to step into the world of business." "The Intelaq licenses are issued to UAE nationals interested in setting up and operating their own businesses single-handedly from home, for a fee of AED1, 060. Businesses which will not cause any pollution, traffic jams, or harm to neighbours are only permitted under this license category," he added.

UAE nationals residing in the Emirate of Dubai at the time of application can only apply for Intelaq. They must also refrain from any activity outside the scope of the license. The activity can be undertaken for three years from the date of issuing the license, which must be renewed annually. The Intelaq license will be converted to a business license after three years.