Abu Dhabi Wednesday, 18th February 2015: Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development and Etihad Airways organized on Sunday "Le Natawasal Workshop". The workshop was attended by 70 entrepreneurs who are supported and funded by Khalifa Fund. The workshop aims to enhance the entrepreneurship environment for those projects to enable them to develop their services and products to ensure their success. The forum includes workshop about Etihad Airlines' procurement policies and procedures as well as the procedures and opportunities for commercial cooperation with the Fund's members.

"Khalifa Fund will continue its efforts to create business environment that is suitable for development and growth in SMEs sector in the country. The Fund's team is always working on enhancing the competitive features for those projects to take part of the local market", said H. E. Abdullah Saeed Al Darmaki the CEO of Khalifa Fund.

Al Darmaki's pointed to the Fund's efforts in urging government, semi-government and private entities to provide the SMEs with some privileges to support them for more success and growth. The success of supported projects means the success of Khalifa Fund's programs and strategic plans.

"The Fund's management is keen to communicate with entrepreneurs and listen to their views and learn about the challenges they face in order to cooperate with them to find optimal solutions. The concerned departments in the Fund are obliged to support the entrepreneurs in all means to lead their projects to the success", added Al Darmaki.

Al Darmaki praised the vital role and its importance by Etihad Airways to support the funded and supported enterprises by Khalifa Fund. Etihad Airways were able to develop policies in the area of procurement in an innovative and effective ways in favor of SMEs sector.

We encourage the government entities and big national companies to follow the example of Etihad Airways in the field of supporting small and medium enterprises by reducing the restrictions to give them contracts and develop a package of facilities that enable entrepreneurs.

Adel Al-Mulla, vice president of procurement and supply management in the Etihad Airline confirmed their commitment to the community through the effective support efforts toward small and medium enterprises across the country. He mentioned Etihad Airlines cooperation with Sougha Establishment, one of Khalifa Fund initiatives, through putting Sougha's products in the suitcases of its flights.

"Our cooperation with the Khalifa Fund through the third Tawasul Forum is to show entrepreneurs our policies in the procurement which comes in the framework of strengthening contracting opportunities with their business. We also hope this meeting to identify the largest slice of the entrepreneurs of small and medium enterprises, backed by the fund and build a sustainable partnership working relationships future with entrepreneurs and strengthen their position in the market", said Al Mulla

The forum aims to promote communication and interaction among funded and supported projects by Khalifa Fund to enable the entrepreneurs to build a network of relationships that increase the efficiency of these projects and the promotion of integration and complexity to the benefit of them.

© Press Release 2015