A scenic view of the Dubai Chamber’s head office in Dubai.

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

DUBAI: Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry has launched the pilot phase of its Business Voice Portal, a new digital platform designed to streamline public-private sector cooperation and contribute towards Dubai’s economic progress and development.

Through the interactive portal, members of business groups and business councils in Dubai can share valuable insights and feedback on draft regulation with the aim of ensuring a favourable business environment in the emirate.

Businesses can use the portal to identify challenges facing the business community, and review laws and policies that impact companies operating in various economic sectors within Dubai. In addition, members of business groups and business councils can use the portal to communicate their views and recommendations to the relevant government departments. The platform provides channels for business groups and councils to discuss matters internally and participate in open and public forums where proposals are submitted directly to Dubai Chamber.

In addition, the Business Voice Portal provides users with easy access to Dubai Chamber’s electronic library which includes up-to-date and relevant information on existing legislation, economic reports and other valuable insights.

The launch of the pilot was announced during a meeting recently hosted at Dubai Chamber’s head office which was attended by the heads and members of business groups and business councils in Dubai. Following the completion of the pilot phase, a full-scale version of the Business Voice Portal is expected to be launched during the second quarter of 2019.

Commenting on the launch of the Business Voice Portal, Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chamber, said the new initiative supports Dubai Chamber in its role as the voice of the business community, representative of the private sector and bridge between business and government.

“By fostering a constructive dialogue on important business-related matters, we can better understand the challenges faced by companies in Dubai and advocate on their behalf and relay their feedback to relevant government entities. The portal will support the development of business and economic growth in Dubai in line with the objectives of the Dubai Plan 2021 and the UAE Centennial 2071,” said Buamim.

Dubai Chamber’s President & CEO said the online portal would help accelerate public-private sector cooperation in Dubai, which he described as one of the key ingredients of Dubai’s remarkable economic and social progress in recent decades, adding that the initiative would also enhance the emirate’s global competitiveness.

Buamim noted that the Business Voice Portal falls in line with Dubai Chamber’s efforts to establish an advisory council joined by leading multinational companies operating in Dubai which supported the emirate’s stimulus measures in accordance with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. He added that the portal enables Dubai Chamber to better serve the interests of the business community in Dubai, take the pulse of the private sector, and identify key challenges that should be addressed by relevant authorities.

Meanwhile, creating a practical guide to help startups navigate the UAE’s funding landscape, allocating more investment for startup incubators and accelerators, and expanding the existing network of investors who are eager to finance new business ventures are among the key recommendations of a new whitepaper published by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).

The whitepaper, published in collaboration with Roland Berger, called for closer cooperation between universities, government agencies and investment funds to expand the scope of investments that can support the growth of startups in the UAE.

The findings were released during Dubai Startup Hub’s Entrepreneurship Advocacy event series, which was hosted earlier today at Dubai Chamber’s head office. The event, joined by banking and finance leaders, industry experts and entrepreneurs, shed light on the key funding challenges faced by startups in the UAE, building on a previous whitepaper released last year which focused on obstacles associated with opening a bank account in the country.