Emirati suppliers registered under the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development — Dubai SME — secured AED1.27 billion in contracts and purchases in 2023, the organisation announced on UN Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Day. The figure underlines the growing weight of Dubai SME contracts as a driver of economic transformation, job creation, and sustainable growth across the emirate.
Dubai SME Contracts 2023: Sector Breakdown
The AED1.27 billion was distributed across four sectors:
- Dubai Government entities: AED606 million - Semi-government entities: AED332 million - Private sector establishments: AED238.48 million - Federal government entities: AED94.46 million
Since Dubai SME was founded in 2002, cumulative contracts awarded to UAE entrepreneurs have reached AED10.91 billion — a figure that reflects more than two decades of consistent institutional support for Emirati small and medium enterprises.
Sheikh Hamdan Highlights SMEs' Role in D33
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, stressed the importance of SME development, noting that SMEs are the main agents of innovation, competitiveness, and sustainability in Dubai.
SMEs are central to the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which targets doubling the size of Dubai's economy and positioning the emirate among the three largest city economies in the world by 2033.
SMEs: 99% of Businesses, Half the Workforce
The scale of Dubai's SME sector is significant: nearly 99% of all establishments in the emirate are SMEs. They employ approximately 50% of the workforce and contribute close to 46% of Dubai's total value-added output — making them indispensable to the city's economic fabric.
A government procurement policy mandates that Dubai Government bodies and affiliated entities (in which the government holds 25% or more equity) allocate at least 10% of their procurement budgets to Emirati companies registered with Dubai SME.
DET and Dubai SME Leadership Respond
His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), highlighted the alignment between Dubai SME's programmes and the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He described the scale of contracts accessible to Dubai SME members as a strong indicator of cross-sector commitment to empowering small businesses.
Abdul Basit Al Janahi, CEO of Dubai SME, reaffirmed the organisation's focus on supporting entrepreneurial initiatives: "Promoting entrepreneurship and strengthening the city's SME ecosystem lies at the heart of our operations."
Top Supporting Entities in 2023
Among the highest-contributing entities for the year were the Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Emirates Group, Emirates Flight Catering, Emirates Health Services Corporation, Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Union Coop, and Majid Al Futtaim Hypermarkets.
