Ministry of Economy and Google launch SkillUp Embark to promote the virtual growth of businesses

• Program part of the Entrepreneurial Nation initiative for SMEs in UAE

• Ministry invites SME-owners to participate in the second round of the program through https://skillupembark.ae

The Ministry of Economy launched ‘SkillUp Embark’ in collaboration with Google as part of its Entrepreneurial Nation initiative that was launched in 2021. The initiative aims to promote entrepreneurship, startups and SMEs in the UAE through facilitating networking between the government, national private sector, institutions, and prestigious international companies interested in entrepreneurship.

Dr. Hassan AlSayegh, Director of SME Development at Ministry of Economy, said: “The UAE sees the entrepreneurship sector as key to building a sustainable and innovative national economy that is based on competitiveness and diversity in line with the ‘Projects of the 50’ and UAE Centennial 2071 goals, and promoting the national economy’s position as one of the leading economies, globally.”

He added: “This program falls in line with the UAE’s and the Ministry of Economy’s efforts to maximize the role of SMEs and their contribution to national economic growth, in collaboration with various federal and local government entities, local and international private sector, and academic and research institutions. By partnering with Google, we aspire to develop the entrepreneurship system in the country and create learning and growth opportunities for entrepreneurs by keeping them updated on the latest technical tools that can support the growth and expansion of their businesses online. This is set to promote the UAE’s position as a leading country for innovative entrepreneurship based on modern technology.”

“SkillUp Embark offers free intensive training for SME-owners, in collaboration with Google. It will prepare them to gain deeper knowledge on digital marketing tools through Google, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as establish a strategy for digital marketing and personal guidance on business. These efforts will promote the growth of their online businesses and guarantee that their products reach a larger number of customers in various international markets, thus ensuring growth and prosperity. The program is part of the Entrepreneurial Nation initiative, which includes three major programs namely: SkillUp, StartUp, and ScaleUp,” he continued.

Dr. AlSayegh stated that the first edition of SkillUp Embark, which was held last February, witnessed a great turnout by SME-owners. The program received 335 applications and featured 16 online sessions, two three-hour sessions per week, and was concluded with the appointment of a leader to oversee the participants’ progress and the application of the skills they learn through the program. Dr. AlSayegh added that due to the immense success of SkillUp Embark’s first edition, the Ministry of Economy launched the second edition of the program in collaboration with Google on 15 March 2022. This edition received over 616 applications, which prompted them to allow a second batch of candidates to apply and take part in this very useful program.

The program participants praised the quality of the information shared and its role in supporting the growth of their online projects, and commended the program’s hosting. Tasneem Rangoonwala, founder of the Digital Buzz, said that the program’s educational phases were well planned as they teach all the basics step by step while sharing various resources and tools that are easy to understand and apply. Rangoonwala also pointed out that the personal guidance on business performance is an added advantage of the program, and advised entrepreneurs to participate in the program. Fares Tayyar, founder of Shopinista.store, said that he found everything he was looking for at SkillUp Embark, as the program provided him with a comprehensive understanding of digital marketing using social media, along with tools and ways to effectively apply strategies in his project to achieve more growth and reach different markets.

The Ministry of Economy invites SMEs owners to take advantage of the program by applying through its website: https://skillupembark.ae, provided that company owners have tangible products, an e-commerce site, and a budget to invest in digital promotion and marketing.