Abu Dhabi:Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced its participation in the Abu Dhabi SME Champions Programme, an initiative by the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development aimed at enhancing procurement opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UAE.

According to Emirates News Agency, the programme seeks to strengthen the role of SMEs in the supply chains of major national companies. EGA currently allocates approximately AED8 billion annually to UAE suppliers, with over 40 percent of its total procurement being sourced locally. By joining the programme, EGA intends to further expand its local supplier network, providing more SMEs with the chance to compete for contracts, thereby supporting the growth of local businesses and boosting economic value in the UAE.

The programme will give EGA access to over 2,800 SMEs registered with Khalifa Fund, allowing the company to explore collaborations with a broader range of qualified local suppliers. This engagement is expected to increase the diversity and resilience of EGA's supply chain. Additionally, registered SMEs will benefit from improved opportunities to connect with large corporations, enhancing their understanding of procurement requirements and strengthening their competitiveness.

Abdulnasser bin Kalban, CEO of EGA, affirmed the company's commitment to UAE industrialization and economic diversification, emphasizing the potential for the programme to offer more opportunities for local SMEs to compete for contracts with EGA, thereby enhancing their long-term growth and competitiveness.

Mouza Obaid Al Nasri, CEO of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, highlighted the significance of EGA's inclusion in the programme as a step towards increasing national SMEs' access to procurement contracts with major corporations, thus enhancing their involvement in local supply chains.

The Abu Dhabi SME Champions Programme focuses on connecting SMEs with key buyers, offering access to procurement opportunities, and providing capability-building programmes and business support. EGA also backs entrepreneurship and the development of UAE-based start-ups through its EGA Ramp-Up initiative, which has supported over 220 start-ups since its inception in 2022. SMEs play a critical role in the UAE economy, making up more than 95 percent of businesses, employing 86 percent of the private-sector workforce, and contributing over 63.5 percent to the non-oil GDP.