More than 2,700 women entrepreneurs have joined the National SME Programme
Emirati women are building an increasingly significant presence in the UAE’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, owning or co-owning more than 114,000 small and medium-sized enterprises as national policies seek to widen their access to funding, markets and future economic sectors.
By the end of February 2026, the number of SMEs owned or co-owned by Emirati women had reached 114,050, while the country had 48,257 Emirati women entrepreneurs, according to H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism. More than 2,700 Emirati women entrepreneurs have also joined the ministry’s National SME Programme. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism separately reported the same figures in March.
Bin Touq highlighted the figures in a statement marking Emirati Women’s Day 2026, describing women as active contributors to the UAE’s economic progress and key partners in the growth, competitiveness and sustainability of business sectors including entrepreneurship.
Women shape UAE development
Bin Touq said Emirati Women’s Day provides an opportunity to recognize the influential role women have established throughout the UAE’s development and the achievements they have made across different fields.
He said those achievements reflect the leadership’s long-standing approach to supporting women and establishing an environment that enables them to participate effectively in national development.
The minister also highlighted this year’s Emirati Women’s Day theme, “Together, We Rise Stronger and Better,” saying it reflects the ambition, confidence and capabilities of Emirati women as they continue strengthening their leadership and contribution to the country’s development.
The theme was officially announced by H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the “Mother of the Nation,” in July as part of the UAE’s first month-long Emirati Women’s Day program.
Bin Touq said Emirati women today contribute actively across the different areas of progress achieved by the UAE, including its economic ecosystem.
He described them as important partners in driving growth and prosperity across business sectors while strengthening competitiveness and sustainability.
SME numbers strengthen
Entrepreneurship is becoming one of the clearest measurable examples of that participation.
The 114,050 SMEs owned or co-owned by Emirati women span different economic sectors across the country, while the entrepreneur population of 48,257 demonstrates the breadth of women’s participation beyond conventional employment.
Bin Touq said the indicators demonstrate both the expanding contribution of Emirati women to economic activity and the results of national efforts to create an integrated ecosystem supporting women entrepreneurs.
He said that ecosystem is intended to provide broader opportunities for growth and expansion while improving access to markets and financing.
Those mechanisms can strengthen the sustainability and competitiveness of women-led businesses and increase their contribution to the national economy, according to the minister.
Support extends beyond training
The National SME Programme itself is designed to support Emirati entrepreneurs through technical, administrative and training assistance, government and private-sector incentives, marketing opportunities, financing support and access to government procurement.
The National SME Programme was established under Federal Law No. 2 of 2014 and operates under the Ministry of Economy and Tourism.
Its mandate includes helping Emirati entrepreneurs establish and grow businesses, developing their capabilities and coordinating with federal and local government entities and private companies to provide incentives and market opportunities.
Membership is available to UAE nationals who own qualifying SMEs, while the ministry provides participants with access to professional development, technical and administrative expertise, financing opportunities, marketing channels and government procurement support.
Federal legislation also requires federal government entities to allocate at least 10 percent of their procurement contracts to eligible national SMEs, while companies in which the federal government owns at least 25 percent are required to allocate at least 5 percent.
The participation of more than 2,700 Emirati women entrepreneurs therefore gives them access to an ecosystem extending beyond training into actual commercial opportunities.
SMEs underpin economy
The scale of women’s participation also matters because SMEs represent one of the largest components of the UAE’s private economy.
At the National Forum for SMEs and Government Procurement in early 2026, Bin Touq said the UAE had about 1.33 million SMEs, representing nearly 95 percent of companies operating in the country and more than 85 percent of private-sector jobs. He put their contribution to GDP at approximately 63 percent.
Other recent ministry data have placed SMEs at around 94 percent of businesses and approximately 63.5 percent of non-oil GDP, with methodological and reporting-period differences accounting for the slight variation between official estimates.
That makes increasing Emirati women’s presence within SMEs relevant not only to gender participation but to productivity, employment and economic diversification.
Women entrepreneurs are operating inside the segment that forms the backbone of private-sector activity and is expected to play an increasingly important role in expanding the UAE’s knowledge and innovation economy.
The government has also been using procurement as a mechanism to help national SMEs scale.
The second National Forum for SMEs and Government Procurement offered AED2.445 billion worth of government contracts and tenders to participating companies, while the Ministry of Economy and Tourism recognized 11 federal entities and national companies for supporting Emirati SMEs through procurement during 2025.
The policy is designed to give smaller national companies a route into larger contracts that can improve revenue visibility, operational experience and their ability to compete for future business.
For women-owned and co-owned SMEs, participation in the National SME Programme can therefore provide access to a wider commercial ecosystem rather than support being limited to training or advisory services.
Bin Touq said the ministry will continue developing policies and initiatives that create additional opportunities for Emirati businesswomen and entrepreneurs while supporting their participation in future economic sectors.
Future sectors targeted
The minister linked that direction directly with the We the UAE 2031 vision.
The national strategy seeks to build a more competitive, diversified and high-value economy while strengthening Emirati human capital, entrepreneurship and private-sector participation in emerging industries.
Among its headline objectives, We the UAE 2031 aims to double GDP from AED1.49 trillion to AED3 trillion, raise non-oil exports to AED800 billion and increase foreign trade to AED4 trillion.
Its Forward Economy pillar identifies human capital as a central driver of the UAE’s next stage of development and emphasizes innovation, future sectors and an environment in which entrepreneurs can create high-value businesses.
Bin Touq said expanding opportunities for Emirati women in future economic sectors supports those objectives while increasing the contribution of national talent to a more resilient, innovative and sustainable economy.
The ministry has already introduced additional initiatives aimed specifically at women entrepreneurs.
In March 2026, it hosted the Ramadan Riyada Majlis in Dubai, bringing together Emirati women entrepreneurs and business leaders to exchange expertise and develop new economic initiatives.It was during that event that the ministry publicly reported the 114,050 SME and 48,257 entrepreneur figures.
The ministry said national programs including The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World campaign and the National SME Programme provide Emirati women with opportunities to enter new sectors and expand their businesses.
Separate initiatives are emerging across the wider UAE entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Masdar City Free Zone launched a dedicated Emirati Package this week aimed at making entrepreneurship more accessible to UAE nationals, with a particular focus on enabling Emirati women to establish and expand enterprises in emerging and future-focused industries.
Family businesses encouraged
The entrepreneurship agenda is also being connected with the UAE’s Year of Family 2026.
The Ministries of Community Empowerment and Economy and Tourism launched a program to train 1,000 entrepreneurs from Emirati families over five years, averaging around 200 participants annually. The initiative is intended to help participants turn productive and creative skills into sustainable businesses.
The first phase began with 50 Emirati entrepreneurs and forms part of The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World campaign.
This broader approach links entrepreneurship with household economic resilience and the development of income-generating businesses across Emirati families.
It also complements this year’s Emirati Women’s Day theme, which emphasizes collective progress and the role of families, communities and institutions in creating conditions that allow women to succeed.
Support for Emirati women entrepreneurs is increasingly extending beyond the domestic market.
The General Women’s Union launched Emirati women entrepreneurs councils in friendly countries in late 2025, creating platforms for cooperation in entrepreneurship, investment and women’s development programs.
The councils are designed to operate alongside UAE embassies and economic institutions, potentially providing women-led businesses with additional international networks and market connections.
Empowerment strengthens competitiveness
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism has similarly emphasized overseas expansion for national SMEs, arguing that stronger access to foreign markets can help companies attract investment and increase their competitiveness.
Such initiatives reinforce the point made by Bin Touq in his Emirati Women’s Day statement that support needs to extend from business formation into financing, expansion and market access.
For the UAE, the significance of the latest figures lies in where women are participating.
The country is seeking to build a private-sector-led economy with stronger contributions from technology, innovation and other knowledge-intensive industries. SMEs are expected to provide much of the flexibility and entrepreneurial activity required for that transition.
Bin Touq said the economic empowerment of Emirati women is a central pillar of strengthening national competitiveness and consolidating the UAE’s position as a global center for entrepreneurship, innovation and the new economy.
Source: economymiddleeast