Business Bureau, Gulf Today

Dubai StartUp Hub, an entrepreneurship initiative of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, organised its first online event for its new members, within the framework of its plans to continue delivery of all programmes and activities digitally. This comes in line with its support of business continuity and commitments towards developing entrepreneurship in the Emirate.

During the webinar, Dubai Startup Hub introduced the group of 40 new members to the various initiatives offered to enhance their competitiveness and help them sustain and grow during current business environment.

Dubai Startup Hub also revealed that starting April 2020, it would be providing a new service of online mentorship to support entrepreneurs during such time.  Accordingly, its new and existing members can secure specialized entrepreneurship guidance, support with reviewing their business model, improving and rehearsing investor pitch, and navigating the Dubai market.

Using the latest technologies, Dubai Startup Hub was able to communicate and interact with the attendees, answer their questions regarding the services and benefits, in a seamless way. This highlighted the importance of technology in reducing the impact of distance by achieving the goals of hosting a workshop or seminar digitally.

Natalia Sycheva, Manager of Entrepreneurship, at Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry pointed out that the smart transformation of services has become an urgent necessity for all institutions who serve innovators and entrepreneurs today. Organizing digital networking platform and delivering educational and acceleration programs online is an important step that allows them to continue serving entrepreneurs at all times and enhances Dubai’s position as a global destination for entrepreneurship, Sycheva remarked.

Sycheva also added, that entrepreneurs have been keen to use modern technology in exploring new business ideas and finding solutions for challenges in their excising businesses. The live interaction of participants with the moderators and among each other encourages them to explore new features and formats of this kind of webinars, which save time and effort, and facilitate a positive competitive environment.

Dubai Startup Hub, launched by Dubai Chamber in 2016, embodies the value of public-private partnership to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, and is a valuable resource for entrepreneurs in Dubai. Being a part of the Dubai Startup Hub provides a multi-program platform for entrepreneurs from around the world to explore business opportunities in Dubai, while benefiting from a set of programs and services such as Market Access Program, Emirati Development Program, Dubai Smartpreneur Competition and Co-Founder Dubai Program, among others.

Meanwhile, expanding on the smart transformation of its services, and fulfilling its commitment to business continuity, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry has announced the launch of a series of webinars. These webinars aim to boost awareness of the private sector on various issues related to business environment and practices, and the various economic sectors.

The Chamber’s decision to organise events and workshops online, with the business community, falls within its framework of adaptation to the global changes imposed by Coronavirus (Covid-19). The Chamber has invested in developing its relevant technical infrastructure to hold online events, and communicate and interact with its audience, which has played a key role in its ability to address the private sector and meet its educational and informational requirements quickly and efficiently.

Dubai Chamber launched the webinar series  by organising the first online workshop in cooperation with McKinsey & Company, which was attended by more than 150 participants. The webinar dealt with best practices for remote work for the private sector, the challenges that may arise from this shift in organisational work and structure, and the mechanisms, procedures and technologies used.

 Hamad Buamim, President & CEO, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, pointed out that smart transformation of the Chamber in organising events, and training workshops comes after its success in converting  most of its core services, that it provides through its customer happiness center,   into  smart services . He highlighted that the Chamber has once again proven its ability to foresee the future, and has reaffirmed its readiness to serve the private sector to the best of its ability.

Buamim remarked on the Chamber’s commitment to review topics of strategic importance for the business sector.