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Signing of strategic MoU boosts ability of SMEs to be part of Expo 2020 Dubai and marks further step towards ensuring an inclusive and business-friendly Expo.
Expo 2020 Dubai, Dubai SME and Tejari, the strategic procurement company, have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will broaden access for thousands of SMEs in the emirate to tender opportunities for the AED 25 billion mega-event.
SMEs currently contribute 42% towards Dubai's total employment and generate 40% of gross value added, according to Dubai SME. As a result of the MoU, businesses registered with Dubai SME will now be automatically enrolled as potential suppliers to Expo 2020 Dubai. The move forms part of ongoing initiatives aimed at encouraging participation by SMEs in the delivery of Expo Dubai 2020 and creating a positive impact on the UAE economy that extends beyond 2020. Hosting the mega-event is expected to generate a gross value add of AED 71 billion.
Her Excellency Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Co-operation and Director-General Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau, welcomed the MoU, saying, "SMEs are major economic drivers and provide an important contribution to Dubai's evolution as a Smart City. By uniting with Dubai SME and Tejari, we are further extending our support to this critical business community, enabling SMEs to play a greater part in the delivery and legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai. We look forward to working with them to developing a truly inclusive, SME-friendly Expo, with a sustainable economic legacy."
In April 2015, Expo 2020 Dubai launched its vendor registration and pre-qualification eSourcing Portal, which links all Expo-related procurement operations and enables the rapid deployment of tender opportunities to the local and global business community in an open and transparent fashion.
Of the 4,633 companies currently registered on the Expo 2020 Dubai eSourcing Portal, 32.7% are SMEs. As part of the MoU, Tejari, a leading UAE provider of electronic contract systems, will integrate Dubai SME's 3,500 member companies into the Expo 2020 Dubai e-Sourcing Portal database. All registered members will be automatically integrated and will be able to participate in the delivery of the World Expo through project tenders.
Dubai SME is an agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED) established to foster the development of entrepreneurs, encourage and support UAE nationals to actively participate in the economic growth of Dubai, and facilitate the establishment of small and medium enterprises.
His Excellency Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO of Dubai SME, stated, "This initiative comes in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to evolve Dubai into the smartest city in the world. We at Dubai SME seek to cooperate and coordinate with the public sector, both at the federal and local levels, and the private sector to enhance business competitiveness and support entrepreneurs in the run up of the largest event regionally. We also look to coordinate by linking electronic databases to ensure members details are up to date and are easily accessible on Expo's eSourcing portal. This agreement will also allow us to support our members and to provide them with access to the best tender opportunities."
Al Janahi added, "Dubai SME regularly updates the database of Expo members who are registered on its electronic portal. Through this strategic initiative, we seek to implement the emirate's strategy to increase the contribution of SMEs to the non-oil GDP, as well as improve the UAE's position in the ease of doing business index and the global index for entrepreneurship and development, in line with Dubai 2021 Vision. This agreement will also help promote the SME sector which represents 95% of all companies in Dubai and 42% of the total labour force."
His Excellency Marwan Al Naqi, Chairman of Tejari, said; "The UAE actively seeks to promote cultural exchange with other countries, to strengthen international relationships and enhance mutual understanding amongst nations from around the world. It is also a successful and inspiring model of one of the first governments to adopt the latest technologies to create a modern environment and support its rapid development. We at Tejari are very pleased to cooperate with Expo 2020 Dubai, which is expected to help shape the future and build on existing efforts to highlight the UAE as a global destination that brings together people, organisations and innovations from around the world."
He added, "We truly believe in the important role the SME sector plays in supporting the development of the UAE and contributing to its economic diversification plans. As Expo 2020 Dubai will provide SMEs the opportunity to be part of the preparation for this significant event, we will help by assisting these SMEs in the qualification process and by adding them on Expo's procurement portal which is run on our Tejari system."
Expo 2020, as part of an ongoing programme aimed at engaging SMEs in the delivery of the World Expo, is working with Wamda to bring the concept of Collaborative Entrepreneurship to the region. In May 2016, more than 400 representatives from multinationals, corporations and startups gathered at the Collaborative Entrepreneurship Summit, hosted by Expo 2020 and Wamda. The Summit explored the potential of Collaborative Entrepreneurship, to nurture greater synergies between established corporations and startups and stimulate meaningful partnerships to unleash value and enable growth, as part of Expo's legacy.
Through its regular workshop series, BusinessConnect, Expo 2020 Dubai engages the local and international business community in the lead-up to the mega-event by facilitating dialogue, sharing expertise, and enabling the development of recommendations around key delivery areas for the landmark event. Registration on the Expo 2020 Dubai e-Sourcing portal is free of charge and open to all SMEs at esource.expo2020dubai.ae.
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About Expo 2020 Dubai®
All over the world, people are dedicating effort and imagination to solving some of today's most pressing challenges - from unlocking development opportunities for the next generation to reimagining how people travel and experience the world, by way of ensuring that people have access to education, sustainable energy, food and water. Innovations are being created that five years ago would have been unimaginable.
Expo 2020 Dubai is guided by the belief that innovation and progress are the result of people and ideas combining in new ways. Over the course of six months from October 2020, Expo aims to bring together hundreds of countries and millions of people to celebrate human ingenuity: 'Connecting Minds; Creating the Future'.
· Between its opening day on 20 October 2020, and its close on 10 April 2021, we expect Expo to be visited 25 million times.
· 70% of all visitors are expected to come from outside the UAE - the largest proportion of international visitors in Expo history.
· We aim to create and deliver an inclusive and global Expo with over 200 participants, including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses and educational institutions.
· Expo 2020 also has an ambitious volunteer programme, which aims to include more than 30,000 volunteers from a wide range of ages, nationalities and cultures and backgrounds.
· The Expo site covers a total of 438 hectares, including a 200 hectare gated area. It is located within the Dubai South District, adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport.
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first mega event to take place in the Middle East. Over the past 50 years the UAE has shown the world what is possible through its remarkable development. With Expo 2020, we want to play our part in inspiring future generations and, together, spark innovations that underpin the next 50 years of human progress.
About World Expos
In 1851 the Crystal Palace was the centerpiece of London's Great Exhibition - the first World Expo. It celebrated the man-made industrial wonders of a rapidly changing world. Architecture, contents and a theme, 'Industry of All Nations', coalesced to create a big idea of nations meeting nations in shared technological and commercial progress. In more recent years, participants in World Expos, including governments, international organisations and companies, have gathered to promote their achievements, products, ideas, innovations, their national brand, and their nations as destinations for tourism, trade and investment.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Nancy Carda
Senior Manager PR and Media
Email: nancy.carda@expo2020dubai.ae
Mob: +971(0)506601097
P.O. Box 2020, Dubai, UAE
www.expo2020dubai.ae
Mouaffak Hajjar
Account Director, Brunswick Group
Email: Expo2020uae@brunswickgroup.com
Tel: +971 56 174 8183
© Press Release 2016
