Dubai’s “SME in a Box” initiative has made a positive start in its first month, with more than 500 small and medium-sized enterprises expressing interest in benefiting from the solutions and services it provides. At the same time, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development is aiming to create a positive impact for more than 400 companies over the coming months.

Ahmed Al Room Al Muhairi, CEO of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development, said the next phase will place greater focus on maximizing the benefits of existing partnerships, ensuring that SMEs can make full use of the available offers and services.

Initial indicators showed that participating companies had saved around AED 20,000, in addition to nearly 500 working hours, equivalent to about 20 working days.

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism launched the “SME in a Box” initiative in June to provide integrated solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. The initiative is designed to simplify and accelerate the process of setting up and operating businesses in Dubai, helping entrepreneurs reduce the time and costs associated with running their companies.

Positive Response

Ahmed Al Room Al Muhairi, CEO of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development, said: “During June 2026, the first month following the launch of the ‘SME in a Box’ initiative, more than 500 small and medium-sized enterprises expressed interest in benefiting from the initiative.”

He noted that around 66% of these companies were referred to one or more of the initiative’s partners to explore and benefit from the available solutions and exclusive offers.

The initiative is still in its early stages, while work is currently underway to consolidate and organize registration and onboarding data received from all participating partners. At the same time, the initial indicators point to a positive level of engagement from SMEs with the platform and the services it provides.

Service activation has also begun with participating partners, helping companies achieve practical results as they join different categories of solutions offered through the initiative. Early trends also indicate growing demand among SMEs for services that make it easier and faster to access trusted service providers.

Al Muhairi added: “The initial data showed savings of around AED 20,000 for small and medium-sized enterprises, in addition to saving approximately 500 working hours, equivalent to around 20 working days, which would otherwise have been spent searching for service providers and completing registration and activation procedures.”

He expects these figures to continue increasing as more companies join the initiative and make use of the services available through the platform.

New Services

Commenting on the possibility of adding new partners or services in the coming period, as well as the next phase of the initiative’s development, Al Muhairi said: “Certainly, the ‘SME in a Box’ initiative was designed to be an evolving platform, and we continuously explore opportunities to collaborate with more leading companies and service providers in order to enhance the value offered to small and medium-sized enterprises.”

He added: “However, our priority is not simply to increase the number of partners, but rather to strengthen the impact achieved by this integrated ecosystem.”

He explained that success lies in enabling SMEs to save time, reduce costs, and gain easier access to high-quality solutions, while also supporting partners by creating genuine business opportunities, increasing awareness of their services, and connecting them with entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized companies in Dubai.

Al Muhairi continued: “The next phase will focus on maximizing the benefits of our current partnerships, ensuring that small and medium-sized enterprises can make full use of the available offers and services, while continuing to enhance the platform experience and explore further technical integrations that simplify the business journey, from company setup and obtaining a trade license to accessing a wide range of services and solutions through a single platform.”

He stressed that the ambition is to build a more connected ecosystem for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, giving entrepreneurs easier access to the essential tools and services they need to develop their businesses and strengthen their growth potential.

400 Companies

Regarding the initiative’s targets for the number of companies expected to benefit, Al Muhairi said: “Our main goal is to increase the impact that the ‘SME in a Box’ initiative has on Dubai’s small and medium-sized enterprise ecosystem.”

He revealed that the establishment aims to support hundreds of SMEs over the coming months, with an initial ambition to create a positive impact for more than 400 companies by enabling them to benefit from exclusive solutions, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency.

The focus is not limited to increasing the number of participating companies. It also extends to delivering clear and measurable outcomes, including saving entrepreneurs time, reducing operating expenses, and improving companies’ ability to access essential tools and services more efficiently.

The initiative also focuses on helping SMEs become operationally ready by providing suitable solutions across several key areas, including banking services, payment systems, technology, logistics, accounting, and human resources.

The initiative’s early results reflect a positive direction in strengthening Dubai’s business environment by providing practical solutions that help SMEs save time, reduce costs, and benefit from an integrated network of services designed to support both business setup and future growth.