Dubai SME, the agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai mandated to develop the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, and Epoc Messe Frankfurt have renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will give UAE start-ups an opportunity to shine on a global stage at the world’s most international safety and security exhibition.
The MOU will see a dedicated Dubai SME Pavilion share centre stage with more than 1,300 international exhibitors at Intersec 2015, where 10 UAE-owned and operated SMEs will showcase their security-related products and services to over 26,000 visitors.
The agreement was signed today by Abdul Basit Al Janahi, CEO of Dubai SME, and Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Epoc Messe Frankfurt, the organiser of Intersec 2015.
Dubai SME will hand-pick a selection of the most promising local SMEs to take part in the three-day event, which takes place from 18-20 January 2015 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The partnership renewal follows the successful debut of the Dubai SME Pavilion at Intersec 2014, which presented UAE entrepreneurs specialising in safety and security with a crucial platform to expand their businesses and networking capacity.
Al Janahi commented: “Dubai SME is pleased to offer a strategic showcase for local start-up firms to display their capabilities in partnership with Epoc Messe Frankfurt. A major emphasis in our SME development programmes is to enable start-up companies advance through acquiring international best practices and achieve global competitiveness. Intersec 2015 will be a major such opportunity for our SMEs in the security business.”
Added Pauwels: “SME’s are the back bone of every economy and that’s why it’s so important to have SME pavilions at our shows. An SME today can be a global player tomorrow. Thanks to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Dubai SME was created to do exactly what is the most stimulating in a local economy; encourage Emirati entrepreneurs to set up a business in any field possible.
“By hosting the Dubai SME Pavilion at Intersec, we intend to boost the business potential of existing local start-ups, attract more into the market, and help them realise their dreams. It’s collaborations like this with Dubai SME and an amazingly supporting government that can push a country’s development and innovations to remain competitive in a global market place.
“The Dubai SME Pavilion at Intersec 2014 was a huge success and we are more than happy to repeat this in 2015 and for many years to come. We are also looking at the possibility of extending this agreement across our entire portfolio of nine exhibitions to boost the business potential of the small and medium enterprise sector across a diverse range of industries.”
Exhibitors taking part in the Dubai SME Pavilion at Intersec 2015 have major benefits such as free participation, strategic counsel from international market experts, along with unrivalled opportunities to learn from the world’s leading safety and security experts.
UAE SMEs which participated at the 16th edition of exhibition in January this year were unanimous in how the show boosted their business potential.
Jehad Al Rahma, CEO of New Line Systems, an Integrated Building Management Solutions provider, and one of the pavilion’s exhibitors, said: “The biggest benefit for us at the Dubai SME Pavilion was that we were able to learn the latest developments and industry best-practice from global players. This knowledge-sharing is crucial for us to propel our business forward and we were very happy with the outcome from that perspective.”
Fellow exhibitor Waiel Anara, Key Account Manager at Technology Zone Security Systems, added: “the Dubai SME Pavilion was a really great experience for us, particularly because we had a two-year hiatus prior to re-entering the market just in time for Intersec 2014.
“It was very important for us to showcase our abilities, and being an SME, we needed to demonstrate how we can compete against the major players in the market. The general perception is that SMEs can’t deliver the same way that big organisations can in commercial security, but the Dubai SME Pavilion is helping to break down these misconceptions. We hope that we can return to Intersec 2015 and further grow our presence in the market.”
Now in its 17th edition, Intersec focuses on the five core areas of Commercial Security; Information Security; Fire & Rescue; Safety & Health; and Homeland Security & Policing.
Reflecting its international appeal, the dedicated showpiece will feature 13 country pavilions from Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan, UK and USA.
