I was recruited as the mSME Expert and direct the SMEs Development Department executing a wide range of major projects (42 successful initiatives to date). As such, I designed all aspects of and succeeded in establishing the SME Sector within the department by Quarter 4 2021. For select Program & Project Highlights, I…Continue to direct a joint ADDED and OECD initiative to design Abu Dhabi’s first mSME & Startup Strategy and five-year policy roadmap.Play a key role as a thought leader on the Economic Collaboration Committee, which fosters greater collaboration between government and the private sector to drive the UAE’s economic development priorities. 18 meetings have been held to date, with 23 economic growth challenges highlighted, 17 of which have been successfully addressed and five others currently being acted on.Was the chief architect for a comprehensive platform Setup in Abu Dhabi (www.setupinabudhabi.ae/) delivering a powerful suite of capabilities for business owners and mSMEs to launch and grow businesses in Abu Dhabi. The platform is a collaborative venture with 25 partners, which include Creative Zone, ADDED, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Masdar, Twofour54, ZonesCorp, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), Team Red Dot, the Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone (ADAFZ), and the Khalifa Fund, among others.Am developing the AD Mentor Program to empower Abu Dhabi-based mSMEs and Startups to partner with large companies to compete for business tenders, contacts, and subcontracts. Top companies that have joined the program and are supporting the rollout include Mubadala, ADNOC, ALDAR, Emirates Steel, Tawazun, Etisalat, Edge, and Etihad Airways.Crafted a policy offering government employees the chance to complete a CEO Incubation Program and take a 1-year sabbatical to launch a startup in sectors such as Retail/Tourism, FinTech, Healthcare, and more.

I led an 18-member team of Business Counsellors and mentored/supported 300+ mSME ventures instrumental in accelerating the expansion of an entrepreneurial culture to be a key driver behind technological innovation producing exciting new products, processes, and services. This included being integrally involved in the launch of The Abu Dhabi SME Hub (www.adsmehub.ae/en), an interactive digital platform providing resources to support UAE entrepreneurs. For select Program & Project Highlights, I…Collaborated on the design of Abu Dhabi’s first entrepreneurial ecosystem interactive map and report, which continues to be updated and expanded (www.adsmehub.ae/en/abudhabi-ecosystem-map).Led e-Empower (www.adsmehub.ae/en/e-empower), a partnership with top companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Etisalat, Noon, and more to empower emirate mSMEs and entrepreneurs to thrive within the digital business landscape by providing interactive eLearning solutions and other resources.Rolled out the Food & Beverage Innovation Lab (www.fnbinnovationlab.com) to be an incubator for new local and global F&B products. The program partners industry-leaders such as FBMG and MINTEL with 14+ local F&B manufacturers.Devised the CEO Program focused on helping government employees become entrepreneurs, with program partners including Microsoft, AD Pensions, StartAD, Eltizam, and, among others.Established the Khalifa Innovation Center (KIC), an innovation incubator to launch tech/high impact startups in the science and engineering sectors.Developed Ibtikari, a five-month incubation program run funded by the Khalifa Fund and run by StartAD, which empowers UAE entrepreneurs to scale technology startups.

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Bridging the Gap between the Business Requirements of an Organization and its IT Environment