Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development and Awqaf & Minor Affairs Foundation join hands to drive socio-economic development

Published August 9th, 2010 - 12:35 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development, an agency of the Department of Economic Development in Dubai, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Awqaf and Minor Affairs Foundation in Dubai to create funds and endowment to further drive the social and economic development of Dubai, and boost small and medium enterprises.

The MoU was signed by His Excellency Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO of MBRE for SME Development, and His Excellency Abdul Rahman Tayeb Al Rais, Secretary General of Awqaf and Minor Affairs Foundation.

As per the MoU, an informative media campaign targeting businesses, stakeholders and public will be launched to educate them on the importance of establishing Waqf Funds, and their involvement in setting up such projects.

His Excellency Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO MBRE for SME Development, said: “This step is part of the strategy of MBRE to improve the performance of the SMEs in Dubai as per the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President & Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai. The cooperation with the Awqaf and Minor Affairs Foundation is strategic to support small and medium businesses as it provides a creative source of funding".
"We aim at building bridges of cooperation and strategic partnerships with various organizations and institutions that contribute in supporting SME development," added Abdul Baset.

His Excellency Abdul Rahman Tayeb Al Rais Secretary General, Awqaf and Minor Affairs Foundation said: "We aim through this cooperation with MBRE at creating an encouraging environment to support the growth of small and medium business enterprises. Our objectives remain also around enabling citizens to play an active role in promoting the growth of the national economy, providing strategic and operational support to these projects, and strengthening their positioning and competitiveness, by offering development  programmes based on Islam regulations to meet society needs".

The Awqaf and Minor Affairs Foundation coordinates with MBRE for SMEs in designing a legitimate framework for production, marketing, trading and dealing with endowments to foster the trust of the community and further strengthen the Waqf Funds.

The two organizations will work together and set the rules and standards to elect candidates to enter into partnerships with Waqf funds in the field of SMEs.

MBRE for SME Development and Awqaf will prepare induction programmes aimed at clarifying elements associated with SMEs. They will also provide the complete set of brochures, flyers and other informative materials to raise awareness on Al Waqf Funds.

MBRE will also provide valuable information to the candidates who earned permissions to start their small or medium business along with consulting services, training and skills development that is necessary to achieve success.