Abu Dhabi: New digital platform to connect SMEs with larger companies

Khaleej Times

5 hours ago

The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) will soon launch a new digital platform connecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with major corporations in the emirate, as part of its broader roadmap to empower the private sector and drive economic competitiveness.
The announcement was made during a media roundtable held on Monday, where Second Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Chamber, Shamis Al Dhaheri, outlined several new initiatives to support SMEs, expand international presence, and drive innovation through data-backed policy advocacy.
In response to calls from the business community for deeper integration between SMEs and large companies, Al Dhaheri said the Chamber is developing an electronic platform to scale up collaboration beyond traditional business events.
'We are looking at building an electronic platform that enables large numbers of small and medium-sized companies to work with large companies and see what are the opportunities for cooperation directly,' explained Al Dhaheri. "The main scaling up can happen through having the electronic module.'
This comes alongside a new bulk buying programme that allows SMEs to access procurement opportunities at competitive pricing. 'We also have a special programme for SMEs to help them build their capabilities,' he added. 'We want to build more synergies when it comes to the collaboration between big corporations in Abu Dhabi and the SME sector.'
Overseas offices planned beyond Poland
Following the Chamber's first international office launch in Poland, more overseas expansions are in the pipeline. While Al Dhaheri declined to reveal which countries are next, he confirmed the Chamber would prioritise nations with strong trade ties to the UAE. 'We have other offices that will open up soon,' he said. 'I do not think we will be able to disclose the account, because then I will only surprise you.'
The office in Poland was selected due to its prime geographic location and longstanding economic engagement with the UAE, making it a strategic entry point to European markets.
AI and green economy
The Chamber is rolling out a new "House of Innovation" initiative to help businesses, especially SMEs, adopt artificial intelligence and align with green economy standards. 'We are working with the private sector to help them build their awareness first, to educate them first, to be AI-slash-ESG ready,' said Al Dhaheri. He added that larger companies may find it easier to adopt such technologies, but SMEs often require a roadmap.
'Eventually, the biggest adopters of artificial intelligence, we will celebrate with them the successes of their improvement in efficiency,' he said. The initiative includes showcasing successful use cases and offering tailored upskilling.
Al Dhaheri shared updates on the Family Business Council, which was launched during Abu Dhabi Business Week in December 2024. The Council's Board of Directors was established in April, and its strategy has since been finalised. Key pillars of the strategy include upskilling the second and third generation of shareholders, improving succession planning, and linking family businesses with local and foreign investment opportunities.
"Launching a separate council gives us the ability to focus on them specifically,' said Al Dhaheri. 'We are ready to take them through a journey in a very transparent, open discussion of how we can be more sustainable.' Family businesses make up 90% of Abu Dhabi's non-oil GDP and employ more than 50% of the private sector workforce, according to the Chamber.
Al Dhaheri noted that a significant number of family businesses globally fail to survive beyond the second or third generation, making sustainability and governance critical. 'A very high percentage of family businesses are typically not continuing after a second or third generation,' he said. 'So we're trying to have success stories of helping businesses to continue. And this is a main pillar for us.'
Another major shift under the new roadmap is a data-driven approach to policy lobbying. Instead of merely compiling private sector complaints, the Chamber is now prioritising issues based on potential economic impact. 'We've enforced our analytics capabilities within the Chamber,' Al Dhaheri said. 'Now we're doing more of analytics... to see what is the opportunity, see what's its impact on the economy before we go and address it.'
The Chamber has formed 15 specialised working groups with 225 private sector representatives and published 364 economic reports over the past nine months. Engagements have included sectors such as health, education, real estate, and food safety.
Stronger engagement and better service remain top priorities for the Chamber, which aims to move beyond formal channels and become more accessible to businesses of all sizes. 'If you want to communicate with me on WhatsApp, I'm there. If you want to send me a message on Instagram, I'm there,' he said. 'The more engagement we can have with the private sector, the more results we can achieve.'
Membership in the Chamber rose 4.9% between September 2024 and June 2025 to reach over 157,000 companies. During the same period, the Chamber hosted 69 business events, received 18,960 customer inquiries, and achieved a 90.23% satisfaction rate on the TAMM platform.
Exports and international partnerships
Al Dhaheri cited 34 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) as a major advantage in attracting international firms, including from China. He highlighted the speed at which some companies were able to establish food manufacturing facilities in the capital. 'We welcome the Chinese investors to deliver here. And I think we give a lot of attention to this partnership between the private sector in general and the Chinese private sector as well.'
Business women licences grow by 25%
Al Dhaheri said there has been a growth of around 25% in women-owned business licenses under the Abu Dhabi Registration Authority's Mobdea licence category. He credited this to growing private sector initiative and the support of the Abu Dhabi Business Women Council.
Through its 2025–2028 roadmap, ADCCI plans to strengthen Abu Dhabi's position as a global investment destination while expanding capacity building and enabling the private sector to contribute more meaningfully to sustainable economic growth. 'There is no big business if there is no small business,' Al Dhaheri said. 'Any number is important to us, with more focus on the SMEs, because they are the economy of Abu Dhabi.'