The educational arm of Dubai SME, Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy, went completely digital to provide supportive education to startups and entrepreneurs.
In doing so, the academy demonstrated a remarkable level of resilience and digital readiness following the precautionary measures against COVID-19 in the UAE.
Offering a series of training, consultancy and crisis management programmes remotely for entrepreneurs and startups, the academy contributed significantly to the comprehensive support package of Dubai SME, the agency of Dubai Economy mandated to develop the SME sector, during the pandemic alert.
Altogether, the academy provided 21 training programmes and 10 consultancy sessions, all remotely, on topics as diverse as effective crisis management, cost control, e-Commerce, sales & marketing tactics and virtual project management during April-May 2020.
The academy utilised varied digital platforms, including Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and webinars to allow convenient access to its programmes at reduced costs. Overall, the remote programmes attracted 1,495 participants.
A social media campaign under the theme #Stay_Strong was also launched to spread positivity among the SME community through inspirational videos and sessions with well-known speakers, influencers and entrepreneurs from the UAE as well as from Singapore, Jordan and Kuwait.
“Dubai SME and its institutions are keen to extend financial, advisory and knowledge support to help the startups and entrepreneurs overcome this unprecedented crisis. The Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy leveraged its resources, partnerships, and online channels to offer survival tips for SMEs and enable them to maintain their focus on project development and business continuity,” commented Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO of Dubai SME.
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