Emirati Small Businesses Secured 1.78 Billion Dirhams in Dubai Contracts in 2025
The Emirati Supplier Programme facilitated the allocation of more than 1.78 billion United Arab Emirates dirhams (AED) in contracts to local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 2025, according to data released by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. The figure marks a 38 percent increase from the AED 1.29 billion recorded in 2024.
The initiative, managed by Dubai SME, operates as a core mechanism under the Dubai Economic Agenda, known as D33, which aims to double the size of the emirate's economy by 2033. For the first time since the programme's inception, procurement from public sector entities exceeded AED 1 billion, accounting for 58 percent of the total contract volume.
The public sector expansion follows Dubai's Law 16 of 2016, which mandates that government departments and entities with at least 25 percent state equity allocate 10 percent of their total procurement to registered Dubai SME members. Municipal bodies led the purchasing volume, with the highest contract values originating from Dubai Municipality, followed by the Roads & Transport Authority, Dubai Police, Expo City Dubai Authority, Dubai Academic Health Corporation, and the Department of Economy and Tourism.
Semi-government entities, including Dubai Holding, Emirates Flight Catering, and the Emirates Group, contributed AED 420.5 million, or 24 percent of the total procurement. Private sector partnerships with firms such as Emaar Properties, Union Coop, and Carrefour accounted for AED 254.9 million, while federal entities contributed the remaining AED 74.6 million.
To date, 84 corporate and institutional partners have participated in the programme, providing corporate supply chain access to 1,070 registered Emirati-owned enterprises.
Photo credits: Government of Dubai Media Office
Andrew Shelepnytsky Andrew Shelepnytsky is an Editor of Dubai Voice.
Vladyslava Garkusha
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