Khalifa Fund trains over 35,000 Emiratis in entrepreneurship across nation
16-04-2025
The Khalifa Fund for Enterprises Development (KFED) has made significant strides in nurturing a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in the UAE, with over 35,000 Emiratis now having benefitted from its entrepreneurship training and advisory services. As the Fund aims to further expand its services’ reach in the coming years and to support established national strategies to empower entrepreneurs across the nations.
Khalifa Al Kuwaiti, Acting Executive Director of Operations at the Khalifa Fund, underscored that the Fund provides training and consultancy services to citizens in all emirates, aiming to strengthen entrepreneurship and boost the success rate of business ventures across diverse sectors. Furthermore, he highlighted the growing interest in these training programmes, which signifies rising awareness among Emirati youth about the value of entrepreneurial skills and their eagerness to develop their capabilities to succeed in their future ventures.
He also emphasised that the skills earned by young Emiratis empower them to confidently enter the world of entrepreneurship, supporting many individuals to transform their ideas into thriving business projects. The numerous success stories of Emirati entrepreneurs who launched their business ventures through the Fund’s programmes and continued their sustainable and high-impact journey.
Al Kuwaiti also pointed out that the Fund’s training and advisory services are tailored to serve aspiring entrepreneurs across all sectors and stages, equipping them with vital knowledge and skills to launch and manage their businesses effectively. These programmes foster innovation and entrepreneurial thinking and meet the developmental needs of future business leaders in support of the UAE’s Falcon Economy vision, an integrated model based on capital flow, talent availability and cutting-edge technologies.
In addition, Al Kuwaiti explained that these programmes are designed targeting a wide range of age groups, including school and university students, to cultivate an entrepreneurial culture from an early stage and create a generation of innovative entrepreneurs who are capable of developing quality ideas. Emiratis aged between 21 and 60 years old are eligible to apply for funding support to launch their businesses.
Al Kuwaiti also noted that the Fund’s training programmes focus on a wide range of essential skills and entrepreneurship-related competencies, including innovative thinking, business model development, feasibility studies, financial planning and marketing strategies. These initiatives seek to empower youth to establish sustainable, growth-oriented businesses that contribute to the national economy and encourage initiative-taking spirit in them.
He added that the Fund has a dedicated training division, as part of both financial and non-financial support to Emirati entrepreneurs, who are regarded as a key pillar of the UAE’s economic growth. The Fund’s ultimate goal is to ensure the long-term success of their business projects.
Commenting on how the Fund reaches young entrepreneurs beyond training, he said that the services are made accessible through the Fund’s platforms and government portals such as the TAMM platform, with strategic partners contributing to the training and advisory process. These programmes are delivered both virtually and in-person to boost its reach and follow-up support are provided after the session to ensure continuous support throughout the entrepreneurial journey.
Al Kuwaiti further noted that the training operations began with the establishment of the Fund in 2007, with the primary aim of enhancing the skills and capabilities of Emirati entrepreneurs. These courses are an integral part of the Fund’s regular activities and are frequently updated to reflect evolving market conditions and the needs of aspiring entrepreneurs.
Financing
Since its establishment in 2007, the Khalifa Fund has approved loans worth approximately AED 1.327 billion, supporting over 1,100 small and micro-enterprise projects launched by Emiratis.
Remark: this article was originally posted in Emarat Alyaum
