Dubai’s SME in a Box initiative attracted more than 500 expressions of interest from small and medium enterprises within its first month of launch in June, with two-thirds of these companies referred to partners for exclusive offers and solutions, according to Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, CEO of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Dubai SME), part of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
SME in a Box is a DET initiative led by Dubai SME that gives entrepreneurs a single point of access to an integrated ecosystem of essential services and trusted providers, aimed at helping SMEs start and operate businesses in Dubai more quickly, simply and cost-effectively. The platform supports the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and complements the wider Dh2.5 billion economic incentive package.
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Speaking to Khaleej Times, Almheiri said the initiative, though still in its early stages, has already delivered measurable results.
“To date, the initiative has generated an estimated Dh20,000 in savings for per SME and saved them 500 hours of research and onboarding,” he said, adding that these figures are expected to grow as more SMEs complete onboarding.
“The initial response has been very positive, with hundreds of SMEs engaging with the platform and expressing interest in the available solutions,” he said, noting that partner activations are already delivering results, with SMEs being onboarded across a range of solution categories.
On future plans, Almheiri said Dubai SME is actively exploring collaborations with additional market leaders and service providers to expand the platform’s value.
“Our priority is not simply to increase the number of partners, but to maximise the impact delivered through the ecosystem,” he said.
The next phase, he added, will focus on deepening engagement with existing partners, improving the platform experience, and exploring further technology integration to simplify the SME journey – from business set-up and licensing to accessing multiple solutions through a single platform.
On targets, Almheiri said the initiative aims to support hundreds of SMEs in the coming months, with an initial ambition to positively impact 400 companies by providing access to exclusive solutions, cost savings and operational efficiencies.
“We are focused on measurable outcomes, including saving time, reducing operational costs, enabling businesses to access essential services and tools more efficiently,” he said, citing areas such as banking, payments, technology, logistics, accounting and HR.
Source: Khaleej Times