Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy goes fully digital to support SMEs and entrepreneurs during COVID-19

Dubai: Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy, the educational arm of Dubai SME, has demonstrated a remarkable level of resilience and digital readiness following the precautionary measures against COVID-19 in the UAE.

Dubai SME is the agency of Dubai Economy mandated to develop the Small and Medium Enterprises sector. During the ongoing pandemic alert, DEA is contributing significantly to support the package of Dubai SME.

It is offering a series of training, consultancy, and crisis management programs remotely for entrepreneurs and start-ups. This move is expected to bring great hope for budding entrepreneurs.

Altogether, the academy provided 21 training programs and 10 consultancy sessions, all remotely. Topics were as diverse as effective crisis management, cost control, e-Commerce, sales & marketing tactics, and virtual project management during April-May 2020.

The academy utilized varied digital platforms, including Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and webinars to allow convenient access to its programmes at reduced costs. Overall, the remote programs attracted 1,495 participants.

A social media campaign under the theme #StayStrong was also launched to spread positivity among the SME community through inspirational videos and sessions with well-known speakers, influencers, and entrepreneurs from the UAE as well as from Singapore, Jordan, and Kuwait.

Four of the online training programmes and seven consultancy sessions offered by the Academy were in partnership with the National SME Programme. A consultancy session was also offered in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council and a special programme on ‘How to design and present an innovative business model’ was also held for the students at GEMS Modern Academy Dubai.

“Dubai SME and its institutions are keen to extend financial, advisory, and knowledge support to help the start-ups and entrepreneurs overcome this unprecedented crisis. The Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy leveraged its resources, partnerships, and online channels to offer survival tips for SMEs and enable them to maintain their focus on project development and business continuity,” commented Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO of Dubai SME.

“In fact, the crisis brought forward an opportunity for the Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy to prove not only its crisis preparedness but also its future-readiness. The Academy is keeping pace with the smart transformation happening in Dubai, and having its resources and services successfully migrated to a digital platform will further strengthen its position as an innovative learning resource and enabler for start-ups and future entrepreneurs,” added Ibtihal Al Naji, Director, Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy.

Inspirational experiences and survival tips shared on the social media covered the importance of maintaining a healthy attitude, digital reputation for entrepreneurs, ways to reduce operating expenses, and effective e-Commerce.