Dubai To Host SME World 2014, The Largest SME Conference In The MENA Region

SME World 2014, the largest business conference for small and medium enterprises in the Middle East & North Africa region, will open its doors to investors, businesses and the general public on 26th and 27th March 2014 at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai. Themed 'Enabling Global Ambitions,' the conference will be held under the aegis of Dubai SME and Dubai Economic Council (DEC) and organized by SPI Group who are known for developing innovative event and content platforms for businesses in the UAE.

SME World 2014 will host almost 100 top SMEs from across the region. They will showcase their products and services, present their success stories and share their growth plans with industry, governments, investors and the general public.

SME World 2014 validates the UAE's commitment to encourage entrepreneurship and to provide a strong ecosystem for small and medium enterprises. It will showcase the spirit of entrepreneurship in the UAE and the wider region. It will feature Panel Discussions with experts and industry leaders on issues related to SME growth and development. SME Workshops will host Q&A sessions with the crème de la crème of top consultancy firms to provide advice and business guidance. The SME Expo will include sections on Hall of Fame, Made in UAE, Hi-Tech zone and a section on Service Providers.

SME World 2014 will feature a Business Olympics with several SMEs competing with each other in strategy and team building exercises. A Speed Networking session will enable participants to convert potential interest into strong leads. The conference will nominate and present the SME Champions Awards based on a public online poll and the event will be rounded off with an Haute Couture fashion show presenting designers based in the UAE.

"SMEs remain the backbone of any emerging economy and this holds particularly true for the UAE, which has established itself as the regional business hub with the potential to foster sustainable growth," said Vikas Thapar, Head of Business Banking, Emirates NBD . "This growth potential of many high impact SMEs is however constrained by several factors, with lack of business connectivity and networking being a critical deterrent. It is against this backdrop that Emirates NBD launched the RISE initiative last year, which enables SME owners to leverage growth opportunities through mentoring, guidance and networking. Emirates NBD is pleased to support the SME World 2014, as this is in line with our strategic objective to enable the growth of the SME sector in the country. Our participation at this event is a testament of the bank's commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and enabling them to connect with other businesses for further development and growth."

Shantanu A.P., CEO of SPI Group said: "We have designed SME World 2014 such that it acts as a driver of economic development and takes successful SMEs to the next level. As it connects various players of the SME ecosystem including investors, service providers, enablers and partners, the conference has the potential to be the platform for the transition of SMEs to larger businesses. Over the coming years, it will be known as the essential stop in the journey of regional entrepreneurship from the SME to the IPO."

SME World 2014 is sponsored by Emirates NBD , Du and Al Futtaim Motors and is a must attend event for investors, service providers and business enablers from the MENA region. It provides some of the best opportunities for business growth in the region by bringing together leading SMEs and entrepreneurs under one roof.

Emirate:  Dubai

Date: Mar 24, 2014

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