Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, noon partner to empower entrepreneurs, SMEs

The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has signed a pioneering partnership agreement with noon, the local digital champion, to launch an e-commerce programme to further bolster the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Dubai.

The partnership falls under the wider Dubai Traders initiative, one of the ten transformative initiatives announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, as part of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to empower Dubai-based SMEs to adopt new digital tools and channels, so they can scale domestically and internationally.

Dubai Traders will pave the way for Dubai to consolidate its position as a global hub for entrepreneurship and SME growth, supporting SMEs to build a branded online presence, digitise supply chain processes, and access e-commerce channels.

The initiative is focused on forging close private sector partnerships with leading B2B, B2C, and specialised digital solution providers, to leverage their expertise and strengths to provide a suite of tools, incentives, and support mechanisms for SMEs to engage and transact with online customers.

In the presence of Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, and Mohamed Alabbar, Founder of Noon, the partnership agreement was signed by Hadi Badri, CEO of Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), and Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon.

At the outset, the programme will focus on the e-commerce vertical to allow SMEs to build a comprehensive e-commerce presence and thrive in the digital marketplace. Through the partnership with noon, Dubai Traders will offer an onboarding incentive package to encourage both first-time and experienced sellers to get online and benefit from enhanced visibility on the noon e-commerce platform. Emirati sellers can avail additional benefits, including personalised support through noon’s Mahali programme.

Exclusive incentives and support for Dubai Traders programme participants include:

Onboarding support: A bespoke onboarding journey with dedicated day-to-day account management to expedite and facilitate the sign up and set up process.

Training: Access to curated workshops, seminars, and sales insights throughout the selling journey.

Increased seller exposure and visibility: Advertising credit packages and prioritised online product placements on noon platforms.

Rapid delivery: Preferential access for eligible sellers to noon’s quick-commerce platform (15-minutes delivery model).

Hadi Badri commented, “SMEs are the backbone of Dubai’s economy and a critical enabler to accelerate economic growth. We welcome noon as a strategic partner in the Dubai Traders program, reflecting our joint commitment towards delivering on the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. By directly supporting and investing in the success of local SMEs, the Dubai Traders program serves to unlock the digital potential of Dubai-based sellers and will directly contribute to growing the emirate’s digital economy and fostering innovation. By harnessing e-commerce as a powerful tool to digitise traditional SMEs, we aim to equip businesses with the essential tools to engage with new customers and share their propositions with new markets.”

Faraz Khalid said, “One of noon.com’s core objectives has always been to empower local entrepreneurs and foster a vibrant e-commerce environment, providing all sellers, regardless of their scale, an equal opportunity to succeed. With the introduction of the Dubai Traders initiative, we are proud to work alongside our partners at the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism to offer Dubai-based entrepreneurs and SMEs a new avenue to extend their online presence and reach using noon’s tools and fleet.”

The partnership between DET and noon underlines the unique model of collaboration between government and the private sector in Dubai to leverage key strengths and knowledge-share, and create a unique and compelling value proposition to support Dubai’s SME ecosystem. Through noon’s expertise and track-record, this collaboration marks a significant stepping stone in driving the Dubai Traders initiative’s vision, and D33 ambitions.

WAM