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Admin SAE

Admin SAE

(German)  (العربية)

It was an icy day when we drove to Germany to meet with the business pioneer Abduljalil Saymoa at his lab in Illingen, 200 km northwest of Stuttgart, the famous city of the automotive industry. During our trip the European cities were very quiet, yet they were shimmering with lights and bright colors celebrating the New Year. It was interesting to find out the creative and fun ways the locals invented in order to protect the ornamental flowers from the bitter cold using brightly colored suits and red caps at times, or at other times covering them with cloth and putting golden belts on them. Despite the low temperature at this time of the year and the cloudy sky, we were excited to visit the first plant in Germany that produces a kind of cheese, which is well received by German citizens, and even won an award.

From the moment we arrived at the factory, it was clear that there was great interest in the project, especially among the Arab community traders who wanted to buy different varieties of Arabic cheese.

After visiting the factory, we took the car with our cheese pioneer to tour the cowshed which was behind the idea of ​​establishing the factory. There are about 90 head of cattle. It was divided into several barns (pregnant cows, milking cows, and small calves). We have also talked to cattle breeders about how they manage to take care of the cows and the differences in cattle breeding between Switzerland and Germany, where Switzerland follows a more stringent system. The following is the text of our interview with the entrepreneur Abdul Saymoa.

 

 

For starters, tell us about your journey from Syria to Germany.

I left Syria at the end of 2011 to Egypt where I stayed until 2014 searching for a better life. We were about 400 people traveling on boats and it took us 14 days before we reached Italy. I saw people drowning in the boats of death in front of my eyes. After arriving to Italy, I continued my journey to Germany to finally settle in the city of Illingen, where I founded my current business….

There it was amazing to meet one of the people who got on the “refugees boats”, the boats that soon turn into floating tombs that are then swollen by the waves of the Mediterranean. We told him that those observations deserve to be documented in a book to recount the horrors of this journey.

 

The question that comes to mind is why choose a cheese production project? Is it related to your work in Syria?

Yes, I worked in this field in Syria, and it was also a result of the difficulty of obtaining a job. I have experience in the cheese industry, and I did not find factories for Arab cheese in Germany. It was only imported. This was enough to start producing Arab cheese in Germany. The Arab community is also a big community in Germany, and there is even a street in Berlin called ‘Arabische Strasse’. This large community desires this kind of cheese.

In the beginning I was not allowed to start working without a professional certificate. According to a rule that was laid down 10 years ago, I was required to apply for the profession certificate. This was the most challenging problem. I had to study to gain German knowledge and experience. Usually, it takes 4 years, but since there are German citizens who have been practicing this profession for a long time, the authorities had to find a solution by bringing experienced professionals to a training course for a few days and then passing an exam whereupon the trainee will be able to practice the profession.

It was not easy, I had to study German terminology. I had to study hard during the five days in the university. I was the only Arab who took this course. I had the support of my German partner, especially in understanding the chemical terminology used in German. The test committee was composed of university professors. The questions were very precise and in the end I got the certificate.

I learned German language through practice and daily life with natives. I started the project after a year and a half after arriving in Germany.

 

Tell us about the difficulties you faced to establish your project, as a foreign man or as a refugee.

The first and biggest challenge was the professional certificate. Then there are administrative and organizational tasks that you need to complete in order to start the project, and that is not generally easy because there are many requirements to be completed before starting. The difficulties I faced were not mainly related to being a foreigner, and there were aspects related specifically to the need to obtain a certificate to practice the profession. However, it was remarkable that other technical and logistical obstacles were not taken into consideration regarding the way German companies worked. It took a long time to obtain the equipment and extensions necessary to run the project. For example, we waited a year and a half to install the device to pump hot water to the machines.

I also had to work on the project plan. Fortunately, there are many organizations and associations that have helped me such as Chamber of Commerce "Industrie- und Handelskammer - IHK www.ihk.de" and "Business Angels: www.business-angels.de" we also joined "one two-three competition: https://123g-networking.de" I have received assistance in processing the necessary papers to obtain a loan from the bank. In addition to that I also received tips on how to make the project successful from other business pioneers with experience in managing projects.

 

Can we say that the bank was the main source of funding for the project? Is capital required for the project owner?

Not only the bank, there were several sources of funding. The capital is necessary for the owner, but the amount needed is not necessarily large, as you can start with about 25 thousand euros. Though, I was able to get financing of about half a million euros. The multiple funding sources were personal capital, a bank loan, and the Business Angels organization. Recently, a private investor joined us, in addition to many other offers from private investors who wish to invest in the project.

The project has competed for the financing of "Business Angels" with approximately 1,500 projects. It was selected in the first phase to be among 50 other projects, and was selected in the second phase as one of the three most innovative projects. The project eventually received financing, as funding without collateral requirements, to be returned later.

 

Have you founded the company on your own?

The project is a limited liability company, which made it easier for me to get a loan from the bank. Because as a refugee I have a residence permit, therefore, I cannot get a loan from the bank if I do not have a company.

I had a German partner from the beginning, Riehm's family, the owner of the cattle farm. Sure, I would not buy cheese while I know how to make it. I bought big quantities, which surprised the family. You cannot drink that much milk. I was buying milk to make it to feed the family, and also to store it.

Riehm’s family plays an important role in the project, as it is responsible for the administrative matters and communication with the government. I was focusing on manufacturing, marketing and managing the plant. It plays the role of the local partner of a foreign investor.

 

So how did things evolve?

At first I asked them about the possibility of preparing the cheese at their farm for reasons related to logistics aspects such as the place and tools. Consequently, came the idea of ​​manufacturing cheese in trading quantities. I did not think it was so difficult. I thought it was possible to get a place at their farm to prepare the cheese. It gradually evolved from preparing the cheese in the family farm to marketing it in the local market. We were meeting and asking Arab and Turkish shops owners about the possibility of buying Arab cheese. The responses were very positive, as many expressed that they were importing that cheese from France and there were no local suppliers in Germany. This was a great motivation for the Germans to buy too. Then we asked government agencies about the requirements for establishing this project, we learned about the need to obtain a certificate of practicing a profession. That was when I had to attend the intensive course and already passed the special exam. Note that this session is organized once a year and available in only three universities. It was a surprise for my German partner that I passed considering the difficulty of the tests, which were very specific, in German, and lasted for about an hour, but luckily they were oral.

We started production with about 300 liters. We then raised the quantity to 500 liters and after that to 1,000. The production capacity is expected to be raised to 2,000 during the next week (during the second half of January). We also hope to reach the level of 4000 liters in the next two or three months.

The permanent number of employees in the factory are about four workers and we hope to increase the number to six, while we need to hire about ten people to reach the plant's maximum capacity, and we hope to do so in the next few months.

 

Marketing remains a big challenge for any project. Does this apply to yours?

For me, marketing was the easiest part. As we asked the shops before starting, and while the product was mainly available in the market, it was also necessary to provide a high quality product. I also had my experience in marketing and trading since I was in Egypt, where I had my business in selling clothes.

There are many customers, mainly Arabs and Turks, while the Germans are gradually buying our products. There are several large shops that buy from us, such as the famous REWE Markt, which buys our products in large quantities. We are also exporting, but we are currently limited to EU countries such as Sweden (mainly), France, Austria and England. This is given the presence of Arab communities of course.

 

We knew you received an award, could you tell us about it?

In the context of the competition organized by the Association for Artisanal Dairy Products in Organic Farming "Verband für handwerkliche Milchverarbeitung im ökologischen Landbau = VHM", which is held in Munich, we received the "Publikumspreis de VHM" Prize for one of our products "Surki cheese", a mixture of Arabic and German cheese.

Where we competed with thousands of cheeses and I did not expect to get the award . The evaluation depends on the taste as well as the benefits of the product.

 

What types of cheeses are being produced in the plant?

Mainly all kinds of Arabic cheese. Starting with Baladia cheese, Akkawi, Almznrh, Chalali, Haloum, Arabian ghee, Quraishah and sourki…To give further clarification, the Chalali cheese for example is a cheese that is cooked then shaped like strands. As for how to prepare the cheese, he said that it is a mixture of Arabic and German recipe, where Arabic cheese is made with German specifications. The process is distinctive by sterilization or pasteurization, which is more stringent, because the machines used provide high standards and work automatically.

 

Your project gets from different institutions? How did you get that support?

Land Auf Schwung, an agricultural enterprise support organization, provides funding without re-payment, where we received about 50,000 euros, which indicates the quality of the project.

He also mentioned the role of "econets", an association of the European Union to support young entrepreneurs, and provides advisory services for the success of projects.

Our business leader also told us his experience with the "Business Angels" Foundation, which provides funding for outstanding projects and how he felt about the project evaluation committee. This is where the owner of the project is subjected to difficult tests and a large number of questions that require specific and clear answers. He said that he answered hundreds of questions to prove the project is commercially viable.

 

What advice would you give someone who wants to follow your steps to become a business entrepreneur?

In general, the entrepreneur must be patient and persistent. I have seen many of those who tried to carry out projects, but they gave up when faced with the first challenge. The entrepreneur must be ready to face an endless number of obstacles, considering that he still faces difficulties despite the success of the project. He also stressed that the fact that he's a foreigner who lives in Germany gives him extra motivation to reach success. He desires to change the stereotype of foreigners in Europe. He mentioned his big commitment from the very beginning to seriously find and obtain work of any nature. He admitted that German language was the main obstacle to get a job in the beginning, saying that maybe that inspired him to start his own project.

 

 

What are the prices for the final consumer and the volume of your sales if possible?

Prices vary depending on the type of cheese. They range from € 9 per kilogram for Baladia cheese to between € 15 and € 16 for Chalali and Samn cheese. Sales volumes can not be given specific figures, but sales can be said to cover costs whether fixed costs of around 13,000 euros and the cost of milk purchases of about 16,000 euros per month.

 

What are the main challenges of the project and what is the future outlook?

Given the success of the project and the expansion of production, the limited milk we receive is one of the obstacles we face at the moment. When asked about the possibility of buying milk from another farm, he said it was not easy, because cattle farms are committed to distribution agreements with other companies for several years.

With regard to the future outlook, we look forward to building another factory with a higher production capacity in the near future, God willing.

Finally, Abdul expressed disappointment with the Arab press, whose coverage did not adequately cover the project. While by comparison it received wide coverage from the German print, audio and visual media. Especially by being a successful example of the integration of Syrian refugees into German society.

In conclusion, this story of success tells us a lot about the challenges faced by refugees and how they have been a reason for experimenting and moving forward with the project and achieving great successes.

 

 

The address of the factory and the website of Sham Sar "Sham is the Levant, and Saar is the German region"

CHAM SAAR GmbH, Lebacher Str. 46, 66557 Illingen-Wustweiler https://www.chamsaar.de

 

Institutions which give support to entrepreneurs

 

 

 

تؤكدها استثمارات نوعية وشراكات اقتصادية وزيارات متبادلة

 

(English)

 

توقعات بارتفاع حجم التجارة غير النفطية الإماراتية الصينية إلى 70 مليار دولار بحلول عام 2020 أو 70 مليار دولار حجم التجارة غير النفطية الإماراتية الصينية بحلول 2020

الصين تبحث عن توسيع نطاق استثماراتها عبر مشاركتها في ملتقى الاستثمار السنوي

 

تمكنت دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة من تحقيق نقلة نوعية في اقتصادها خلال سنوات وجيزة، نظراً لاعتمادها استراتيجية تستند إلى استشراف المستقبل، واستباق التحديات المستقبلية بخطط استراتيجية، عززت من مكانتها على خريطة الاقتصاد العالمي.

وتتمتع دولة الإمارات بعلاقات شراكة متميزة مع مختلف دول العالم، وفي مقدمتها جمهورية الصين التي من المتوقع أن يصل حجم التبادل التجاري غير النفطي بينها وبين الإمارات إلى 70 مليار دولار بحلول العام 2020.

 

وقد شهدت العلاقات الثنائية بين البلدين خلال الفترة الماضية نشاطاً ملحوظاً على صعيد تبادل الزيارات الرسمية بين الصين والإمارات وما اسفرت عنمه من عقد اتفاقات تعاون وتوثيق أطر الشراكات الاقتصادية القائمة، وفتح أبواب استثمارية جديدة وطويلة الأجل، عززتها الحرص المتبادل على المشاركة في مختلف الفعاليات الاقتصادية التي يتم تنظيمها لدى الطرفين، لا سيما مشاركة الصين في النسخة التاسعة من ملتقى الاستثمار السنوي التي تنطلق في الفترة من 8 إلى 10 أبريل 2019 في مركز دبي التجاري العالمي.

 

وتأتي مشاركة العملاق الاقتصادي الصيني في الملتقى الذي ينطلق تحت عنوان"خارطة مستقبل الاستثمار الأجنبي المباشر: إثراء الاقتصادات العالمية من خلال العولمة الرقمية"، والتركيز على الاستثمار في مختلف الموارد المتاحة، بما يحقق التنمية المستدامة، التي تندرج ضمن الخطط الاستراتيجية لها.

 

ويتيح الملتقى للجانبين فرصة تعزيز علاقات التعاون الاقتصادي، حيث تجاوزت حجم المبادلات التجارية غير النفطية حاجز الـ 53 مليار دولار خلال العام 2017، وحوالي بـ 2.8 مليار دولار رصيد الاستثمارات الصينية المباشرة في الامارات حتى نهاية عام 2016 بنمو وصل الى 33%، والتي تركزت في عدد من القطاعات التي تشمل تجارة الجملة والتجزئة، الأنشطة المالية وأنشطة التأمين، الأنشطة العقارية، البناء والتشييد والنقل والتخزين وغيرها.

 

وفي هذا الصدد قال سعادة عبد الله آل صالح وكيل وزارة الاقتصاد لشؤون التجارة الخارجية "تواصل دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة تحسين مناخها الاستثماري بإدخال تشريعات جديدة وسياسات ملائمة للأعمال التجارية، من خلال دعم بيئة استثمارية مواتية، قادرة على جذب المزيد من تدفقات الاستثمار الأجنبي المباشر، وخاصة من الصين التي تسعى إلى توسيع نطاق أعمالها واستثماراتها في أسواق الدولة." وأضاف آل صالح: "إن العلاقات الاقتصادية القوية بين الإمارات العربية المتحدة والصين مدعومة بإرادة سياسية قوية متبادلة لدعم وتحقيق النمو الاقتصادي والتنمية المستدامة، وهو ما تترجمه الزيارات المتبادلة رفيعة المستوى لقيادات البلدين، ويشكل ملتقى الاستثمار السنوي احد المنصات التي تلعب دورا حيويا في تعزيز تلك التوجهات الأساسية وفتح مجال أوسع للحوار وتبادل الفرص والمعلومات ومناقشة جوانب التعاون المتاحة، إذ يهدف الملتقى إلى تأسيس شراكات استثمارية تخدم الأهداف التنموية لمختلف الدول المشاركة في أعماله من خلال إتاحة المجال لتبادل الرؤى فيما بين الحكومات والقطاع الخاص لإنشاء هياكل اقتصادية متينة للمستثمرين، وربط الفرص بالنمو الاقتصادي المستدام ".وستسعى الشركات الصينية من خلال اللقاءات المشتركة التي يتيحها الملتقى إلى زيادة التعاون في مجالات الابتكار ونقل التكنولوجيا، والتنوع الاقتصادي، وتبادل البيانات بشأن المعلومات ذات الصلة، ومجالات التعليم والعلوم والتكنولوجيا، والطاقة المتجددة والمياه، و قطاع النفط والغاز، والمجال الثقافي والإنساني. كما سيعمل الجانب الصيني خلال الملتقى على عقد المزيد من الاتفاقات، خصوصاً في مجال التجارة البينية، للاستفادة من الموقع الاستراتيجي لدولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة باعتبارها بوابة عالمية وفرت إعادة تصدير ما يقارب 50 % من المنتجات الصينية التي تمر عبر الإمارات، إلى دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي وإفريقيا وأوروبا. ويوجد في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة أكثر من 4200 شركة صينية، جذبتها الفرص الاستثمارية المتنوعة التي توفرها القطاعات الاقتصادية الحيوية، كما تحتضن 200 ألف من المقيمين الصينيين، كما توفر الإمارات العربية المتحدة تأشيرة دخول مباشرة للمواطنين الصينيين حيث تسهم بشكل كبير في رفد القطاع السياحي والتبادل الثقافي. يعتبر ملتقى الاستثمار السنوي أحد أكبر التجمعات الاستثمارية في العالم، حيث تمكن من تعزيز مكانته كمنصة تستند إلى المعرفة، وتتيح للمستثمرين من شتى القطاعات الاقتصادية، فرصاً مثالية للاطلاع على آخر المستجدات التي تتعلق بحركة الأسواق العالمية ومؤشرات اتجاهاتها، لتحديد واستكشاف أبرز الفرص الاستثمارية، كما يستضيف الملتقى نخبة من المسؤولين ووزراء الاقتصاد، والإكاديميين الاقتصاديين إلى جانب مجتمعات الأعمال من شتى أرجاء العالم.

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 (العربية)  
 

With US $70 billion non-oil trade with UAE by 2020

China looking to expand its investment through participation in Annual Investment Meeting

                                                                 

The United Arab Emirates has managed to achieve a qualitative leap in its economy during the recent years due to the adoption of forward-looking strategy and in anticipation of strategic plans for the future. This move has strengthened UAE’s position on the map of world economy.

 

UAE enjoys privileged relations with various countries of the world, particularly the Republic of China. Volume of non-oil trade between UAE and China is expected to reach $70 billion by 2020.

 

The bilateral relations between China and UAE have witnessed a remarkable stature with the exchange of official visits between the two countries. This has resulted in the conclusion of cooperation agreements and the drafting of frameworks of economic partnerships. These efforts aim to open the doors for new and long-term economic partnership reinforced by mutual interest by participating in various economic events organized by two parties. Thus, China’s participation to the ninth edition of the Annual Investment Meeting which is taking place on 8-10 April 2019 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The participation of the economic giant in the forum, which carries the theme ‘Mapping the Future of FDI: Enriching World Economies through Digital Globalization’, will focus on investments and on various available resources to achieve sustainable development within the parameters of China’s strategic plans.

 

AIM will provide an opportunity for both sides to strengthen economic cooperation and trade relations. In 2017, non-oil trade volume between the two countries exceeded the $53 billion mark. China has also infused direct investment into UAE in the amount of $2.8 billion by the end of 2016, an increased of 33% spread across sectors including wholesale and retail trade, financial and insurance services, real estate, construction, transportation, storage, and others.

 

Abdullah Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy for Foreign Trade, said, “The UAE continues to improve its investment climate by introducing new legislation and policies suitable for business, through the support of a favourable investment environment. This is to attract more foreign direct investment inflows, especially from China, which is seeking to expand its business and investment in the regional markets.

 

Al Saleh added, “The strong economic relations between the UAE and China, backed by strong political will to support mutual economic growth and sustainable development, has been further strengthened by high-level visits made by the leaders of the two countries. The Annual Investment Meetingh plays a vital role in promoting this healthy trade relations and in opening a broader dialogue, exchange of opportunities and information, and to discuss aspects and extent of cooperation. The forum aims to establish investment partnerships that will serve the development goals of participating countries by providing an opportunity for the exchange of visions among governments and the private sector to establish strong economic structures for investors and to link opportunities for sustainable economic growth.

 

Through joint meetings, the Chinese companies will seek to increase cooperation in the fields of innovation and technology transfer, economic diversification, exchange of data on relevant information, education, science and technology, renewable energy and water, oil and gas, culture and arts.

 

China will also seek to secure more agreements, especially in the field of intra-regional trade, to take advantage of the strategic location of the UAE as a global gateway for re-exporting 50% of Chinese products to GCC, Africa and Europe.

 

More than 4,200 Chinese companies are based in the UAE, lured by diverse investment opportunities UAE provides spread over its vital economic sectors. UAE also offers Chinese citizens, who have reached 200,000 in residence in UAE, visa upon arrival which has contributed significantly to promote tourism and cultural exchange.

 

The Annual Investment Meeting is considered as one of the largest investment forums in the world. It has strengthened its position as a knowledge-based platform that will offer investors from various economic sectors the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in the movement of global markets and the trends to identify and explore the most important investment opportunities. The forum will be attended by senior officials, ministers of economy, economists, and business communities from the around the world.

تقارير اقتصادية تستبق "ملتقى الشركات الناشئة والمتوسطة" في دبي

(English)

دبي 22 يناير 2019

تشير الدراسات والتقارير الاقتصادية و الدولية إلى أن المشروعات الناشئة والمشاريع الصغيرة والمتوسطة، ستقود قاطرة النمو الاقتصادي في دولة الإمارات ودول مجلس التعاون الخليجي، خلال السنوات القليلة المقبلة، بالإضافة إلى أنها ستوفر العديد من فرص العمل اللازمة، إلى جانب مساهمتها بنصيب كبير في إجمالي القيمة المضافة وقيامها بتوفير السلع والخدمات، بأسعار في متناول اليد لشريحة واسعة من ذوي الدخل المحدود.

وقال الدكتور أديب العفيفي، مدير البرنامج الوطني للمشاريع والمنشآت الصغيرة والمتوسطة، الذراع التنفيذية لمجلس المشاريع الصغيرة والمتوسطة في وزارة الاقتصاد" تنبهت دولة الإمارات مبكراً إلى أهمية الشركات الناشئة الصغيرة و المتوسطة في رفد الاقتصاد الوطني، ومكانتها في رفد الناتج المحلي الإجمالي، فسارعت إلى الاستثمار في هذا القطاع، واستحدثت النظم والتشريعات الاقتصادية اللازمة التي ترفد هذا القطاع، وتعزز مكانته، بهدف استقطاب المزيد من المستثمرين المحليين والعالميين إلى هذا القطاع الحيوي".

وأضاف العفيفي" على الرغم من أن هذا النوع من النشاط الاستثماري يواجه العديد من التحديات في معظم الدول النامية، تتمثل بالصعوبات التسويقية والإدارية، وانخفاض الإمكانات المالية لهذه المشاريع، التي تؤدي بالضرورة إلى ضعف الكفاءة التسويقية، إلا أن دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي، وفي مقدمتها دولة الإمارت تنبهت ألى هذه التحديات، فأطلقت البرنامج الوطني للمشاريع والمنشات الصغيرة والمتوسطة، وتبنت تعزيز وتشجيع هذه الاستثمارات عبر مشروعها، ووفرت لها البيئة المثالية، التي تمكّنها من فرض حضورها وتنافسيتها في الأسواق المحلية والعالمية".

 

وجاءت نتيجة الدراسات والتقارير الاقتصادية، في ظل المؤشرات التي تتوقع أن تصل الاستثمارات في قطاع الشركات الناشئة في منطقة الخليج إلى 2 مليار دولار أميركي خلال العقد المقبل، وفقاً لدراسة جديدة أجرتها أحدى المكاتب الاستشارية الدولية في المنطقة

علماً بأن دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة، والمملكة العربية السعودية، ستلعبان دوراً مهماً في تحفيز إمكانيات النمو في منطقة الخليج، وفي بلورة وتشكيل قطاع الفنتك في المنطقة العربية، مما يضعهما في صدارة التحوّل في قطاع الفنتك، مدفوعين بعوامل عديدة، منها تبنّي القيادات العليا نهجًا لإنشاء بنى متطورة لمدن المستقبل الذكية، واعتماد ارتباطية إلكترونية للفرد في المنطقة تمثل 45% من اقتصادات المنطقة العربية.

 

وبحسب إحصائيات تقرير الاستثمار فقد حقق عام 2018 أرقاماً قياسية بالنسبة للشركات الناشئة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا ، حيث تضاعف عدد الصفقات المسجلة وزيادة في التمويل بنسبة 31٪. كما كان هناك زيادة بنسبة 5٪ في عدد المؤسسات ومجموعات الملاك التي تستثمر في الشركات الناشئة القائمة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا ، مما زاد عدد المؤسسات الاستثمارية إلى 30٪ منها من خارج المنطقة.

ويعكس الاستثمار في هذه النوعية من الشركات والمشروعات مكاسب اقتصادية مجزية، نظراً لسهولة تأسيسها، وعدم حاجتها إلى رأس مال كبير، أو تكنولوجيا متطورة، إضافة إلى قدرتها على الإنتاج والعمل في مجالات التنمية الصناعية والاقتصادية المختلفة، فضلاً عن توفيرها فرص عمل بكلفة استثمارية منخفضة وذلك لطبيعة الفن الإنتاجي المستخدم حيث أسلوب الإنتاج كثيف العمل خفيف رأس المال، مما يعزز دورها في امتصاص البطالة.

 

وتنبع أهمية قطاع الشركات الناشئة والمتوسطة من خلال قدرتهاعلى تدعيم التجديد والابتكار وإجراء التجارب التي تعتبر أساسية للتغير الهيكلي من خلال ظهور مجموعة من رواد الأعمال ذوي الكفاءة والطموح.

وفيما يتعلق بتوفير البيئة المثالية للشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة، تعتبر دولة الإمارات من أوائل الدول التي استشرفت مستقبل الاقتصاد، ووفرت بيئة حاضنة لهذه المشروعات، من خلال حزمة النظم والتشريعات التي تشجع هذه النشاطات الاقتصادية، وتحفز روادها على المضي في مشاريعهم في بيئة مناسبة، ومناخ استثماري زاخر بالفرص للمشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة.

 

وكانت وزارة الاقتصاد في دولة الإمارت أنشأت البرنامج الوطني للمشاريع الصغيرة والمتوسطة، بهدف تمكين المؤسسات الناشئة الصغيرة والمتوسطة، ووضع أطر عامة ومبادئ توجيهية تهدف إلى توفير الخبرات اللازمة والدعم التقني والإداري والتدريب لأصحاب المشاريع الصغيرة والمتوسطة الحجم.

وتؤكد النسخة الثالثة من ملتقى الشركات الناشئة، التي تستضيفها دبي بالشراكة مع البرنامج الوطني للمشاريع الصغيرة والمتوسطة، التابع لوزارة الاقتصاد، الذي يدعم الشركات الناشئة والمبتكرة طيلة ثلاثة أيام في الفترة من 8 وحتى 10 أبريل المقبل في مركز دبي التجاري العالمي، على أهمية قطاع الشركات الناشئة والمتوسطة في الاقتصادات الوطنية.

 

ويقدم الملتقى الذي ستنضوي تحت مظلته نحو 500 شركة ناشئة ومتوسطة، وأكثر من 20 ألف زائر ،فرصة لاستكشاف أبرز الفرص الاستثمارية التي يتيحها المناخ الاستثماري في الإمارات، كما يمنحها فرصة
استكشاف الحلول المبتكرة والفرص الاستثمارية واقامة الشراكات وتبادل المعرفة مع رواد الأعمال، فضلاً عن فرص تمويل مشاريعها الريادية

ويعتبر الملتقى منصة للشركات الناشئة والمتوسطة، للاطلاع على ما يتمتع به أعضاء برنامج وزارة الاقتصاد الإماراتية، من مزايا تعكس أهمية هذا القطاع، عبر منحهم تسهيلات إئتمانية وفرص تنافسية لترويج وتسويق منتجاتهم في ظل تشريعات وإجراءات مبسطة.


ويجذب ملتقى الشركات الناشئة، أكثر من 20.000 مشارك، يزداد أعدادهم سنوياً من شتى أنحاء العالم ، نظراً لدوره الفاعل في تنظيم وتدفق الاستثمارات، للعديد من الشركات الناشئة والشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة، كما يوفر على مدار ثلاثة أيام مظلة اقتصادية مهمة، لنخبة من صنّاع القرار، ورواد الأعمال، والخبراء الاقتصاديين، وكبريات الشركات، فضلاً عن الشركات الناشئة التي تبحث رؤوس أموالها عن استثمارات آمنة، كما يبحث في مستقبل الاستثمار في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة، عبرالاطلاع على الفرص الاستثمارية، التي يوفرها قطاع الشركات الناشئة والمتوسطة، إلى جانب بحث الرؤى المشتركة حول أبرز الموضوعات التي تتناول مستقبل الاقتصاد العالمي، وواقع الاستثمار في هذا المجال.

 

Economic reports ahead of AIM Startup 2019 in Dubai

(عربي)

Dubai, January 22, 2019

International economic studies and reports indicate that startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will lead the economic growth in the UAE and the GCC over the next few years. This will promote job generation which will contribute largely to an increase in consumption and spending of low-income people.

"The UAE has been alerted early to the importance of startups and SMEs in supporting the national economy and its place in contributing to GDP, " said Adib Al-Afifi, Director of the National Program for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Ministry of Economy. “We have introduced the necessary economic regulations and legislation that provide stability to the sector, and to strengthen its position, in order to attract more domestic and international investors."

 

Al-Afifi added, "Although this type of investment activity faces many challenges in most developing countries, it is the marketing and administrative difficulties and the low financial potential of these projects, which necessarily lead to weak marketing efficiency. However, the GCC countries, specifically the UAE, has been alerted to these challenges, thus has launched the National Program for Small and Medium Enterprises. We have adopted and promoted these investments as well as provided the ideal environment to enable these projects and impose their presence and competitiveness in the local and international markets."

According to a new study conducted by one of the international consulting offices in the region, investments for startups and SMEs in the Gulf region will reach US $2 billion over the next decade, compared to only US $150 million invested in the last ten years.

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia will play an important role in stimulating the growth potential of the region and in developing startup ecosystem in GCC. This scenario places both UAE and Saudi Arabia at the forefront, developing and sustaining an active startup ecosystem while keeping a solid pace as major international cities race to build their own smart cities using disruptive technologies.

 

According to investment report statistics 2018 has proven to be a record year for startups in MENA, with 366 recorded deals and an increase of funding by 31%. There was also in an increase of 5% in the number of institutions and angel groups investing in MENA-based startups increasing the number of investing institutions to 155, 30% of which are from outside the region.

UAE’s Ministry of Economy has established the National Program for Small and Medium Enterprises with the aim of empowering SMEs and developing general frameworks and guidelines aimed at providing the necessary expertise, technical and managerial support and training for SMEs.

 

This emphasis is being shared by the third edition of AIM Startup, a global platform for entrepreneurs which is under the patronage of the Ministry of Economy. Hosted in partnership with the National Program for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, AIM Startup will once again support emerging and innovative companies for three days from 8-10 April 2019 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

AIM Startup anticipates more than 20,000 visitors who will maximize the global networking opportunities onsite. At AIM Startup, innovators are linked with potential investors and can benefit from the investment climate to form collaborative partnerships, facilitate investment deals, and gain knowledge from industry players and thought leaders.

 

About AIM Startup

AIM Startup was launched in 2017 as an initiative of the UAE Ministry of Economy to connect promising startups with investors and business partners from other parts of the world — set in the heart of the UAE’s Annual Investment Meeting, the world’s leading FDI platform for emerging markets and held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

AIM Startup is an ideal platform for start-up companies looking to raise capital, expand into new markets and forge meaningful business relationships with major investors, business leaders, representatives of international institutions and government entities.

 

 

For press inquiry, kindly call or email:

Shereen Hassan Al Musalami

Media and PR Manager, Strategic Marketing & Exhibitions

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mobile number: +971 56 4034071

 

العربية English  French German

نلتقي رائدة الاعمال السويسرية من أصل سوري، رانيا كنج، في مقر جمعية "صناعة نسائية" التي تحوي منتجاتها اليدوية "أنا أحب سوريا" في قلب مدينة جنيف. في هذا الديكور الذي يزخر بالالوان الزاهية، والتصاميم المزركشة، نستعرض رحلتها الشيقة والمثرية.

 

العربية English  French German

 

We meet Rania Kinge in her jewellery and accessories shop "I love Syria" in the heart of Geneva. In this highly colourful setting, in the image of its creator, we evoke the committed career path of the energetic Swiss Syrian-Socialist entrepreneur.

 

S.A.E. : How did you become an entrepreneur?

R.K. : I left Syria at the age of 6 months. Following my father who was a diplomat, I lived in Switzerland, New York and Paris, where I studied in international institutions. After studying business management, I started my career with a company specializing in management systems in Geneva. While in New York, I once fell in admiration for Swarovski pearls displayed in a store. Fascinated, I bought a lot of them. And that's how I started creating my own jewellery and opened my shop in Geneva.

Then I tried to increase my production. That's when my father said to me, "Give Syria a chance. Damascus and Aleppo have very good craftsmen". He was right. In 2001, I started to collaborate with these craftsmen by exporting their products, such as Aleppo silk scarves. Then I opened my own workshop in Damascus, and hired 12 employees. My creations were sold abroad, in chic department stores like Harvey Nichols or luxury boutiques, especially in Geneva. I was reaching a very specialized niche market. Unfortunately, the differences in culture, values and business ethics in Syria eventually affected production and business relations and I decided to close the shop.

It was the war that made me resume an entrepreneurial activity in Syria and launch the "I Love Syria" brand in 2012, with the aim of helping those who had lost everything. Our creations are entirely made by women displaced by war. Eight at first, they are now 100, spread over several cities across the country. Our products are sold online on the international market. We are the first social enterprise in Syria. It is also totally independent, which is unprecedented in this country.

 

S.A.E. : You define yourself as a social enterprise. What is your business model?

K.R. : The social enterprise business model is gradually spreading in France, Belgium, Switzerland and the United States, but it does not exist in Syrian law. My company is therefore registered as a non-governmental organization that uses trade to finance itself (in Syria the company is registered as a limited liability company (LLC)).                                                                 

Most women I work with have no previous skills or even education. We offer them a three-month training course, followed by piecework pay, based on the individual monthly production that determines the selling price. For example, for every 4 to 5 handbags made in a month, they receive $200 to $250, 4 times more than the current average wage in Syria. For sale, as any commercial transaction is currently impossible in Syria, our products are sold on the international market, thanks to e-commerce. Our objective is to be able to finance ourselves completely through sales. But we did not reach the breakeven at the moment.

 

S.A.E. : How did you come up with the idea of the brand "I love Syria", and why fashion accessories?

K.R. : Given the circumstances in which I wanted to operate, the production had to take place without electricity because electricity supply in Syria suffers serious problems. The manufacturing techniques also had to be simple enough to be taught in a few days. I then thought of bracelets braided and decorated with pearls and inspired by the memory of Broadway's tourist stalls covered in I love NY products, I imagined the I Love SY line. The brand would use the Syrian national flag as a logo, symbol of the unity of Syria before the war.

I presented my idea to women in a displaced persons' camp by offering them the opportunity to try, with this project, to earn enough money to leave the camp, rent an apartment, put their children back in school and resume their lives. Several of them have decided to follow me. Fearing that I would be drawn into corruption problems, I declined the proposal to share the premises of the organizations managing the camps. So I transformed my apartment in Damascus into a production workshop.

Eight women started working there, despite the difficulties of crossing the many checkpoints. It was also difficult for me because I had to interact with people who were extremely indoctrinated. But we persevered. We then rented a small workshop in the middle of the souk, where we were the only women, then an office, then a larger workshop. We even equipped it with toilets - a great novelty! - and we are very proud of it.

 

S.A.E. : What was your strategy to penetrate the international market?

K.R. : In 2016, I almost gave up. With the daily bombardments, the lack of water and electricity, production was suffering. And since no one was buying our products inside Syria and the company was not making any profits, I had to continuously inject funds into the project from my own pocket. That's when I discovered on the Internet the Ethical Fashion initiative of the International Trade Centre (ITC) in Geneva. It seeks to connect marginalized artisans in developing countries with international fashion houses. In February 2016, we exhibited our creations for the first time in Geneva. In the meantime, we created the Made by Women association with former colleagues of the Collège du Léman International School in Geneva and with the help of the Geneva government. Then we entered into a partnership with the ITC, funded by the Japanese government, to access e-commerce IT tools.

Since then, we have been able to export our products from Syria. And the events followed one another: sales exhibitions in Geneva, at the Palais des Nations, at the International Trade Centre, on the occasion of eComCaravan, the Week for Peace, the Christmas Market. As our sales improved, we were able to diversify our production and make the models more complex. We have also been able to start supporting other craftsmen from all over Syria, from Homs, Lattakia, Damascus, Aleppo by exporting their products. During our last exhibition, we shipped 5 tons of products to Geneva!

Today, we are present on all major social networks on which we post quality photos of our products. Many people follow us and contact us to display our products or for bulk purchases, from all over the world. We have established a network of women who share the same vision of ethical fashion, women who want to help other women living in a war zone or in poverty. We export our products to Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the United States, Spain, Switzerland, Algeria, Jordan. In Japan, we collaborate with Shibuya 109, the temple of fashion in Tokyo. A delegation from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs even visited us there and congratulated us!

 

S.A.E. : Is entrepreneurial success possible in a war-affected country?

K.R. : The most difficult thing is to manage the logistics dimension. Although international sanctions are not supposed to apply to non-governmental organizations and livelihood activities, this jeopardises our activities. When we are stuck, then we make use of a legal study by Georgetown University which shows clearly that as a non-governmental organisation, we should not be sanctioned. Through Made by Women, we order all our supplies from Switzerland. As for our products, they transit through Beirut and are then stored in Switzerland from where they are shipped to customers. For online sales, we have signed a contract with the YellowCube logistics service of the Swiss Post. Our items are scanned and stored in a computerized and automated order fulfillment center, linked to my online store www.raniakinge.com. We are the only company in Syria and probably in the entire Middle East to use this technology!

 

S.A.E. : What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

R.K. : You really have to want to do it to get started! In a situation like Syria, we must first face the stress of war, the bombs that fall. But you share these risks with everyone else and you are not alone. On the other hand, in such situation, having to tackle each aspect of the project and to manage everyday life challenges; at some point you feel alone.

In the mentality of an entrepreneur, anything is possible. In Switzerland, as a woman, if you have an idea and it meets a need, you will find support. In the Middle East, on the other hand, people with ideas are not valued. So you have to be very persistent, knock on doors over and over again. They will eventually open up. The will to do well and the intelligence of the heart are also important, especially to resist corruption. With a social enterprise, if you give in to corruption, you corrupt your entire mission, and in this case it is no longer worth it. You have to agree to take small steps forward and walk straight. And always rest on your friends!

 

S.A.E. : What future do you see for your company?

R.K. : My first objective was that the company should support as many women as possible. Now, it is a matter of making the company viable by generating enough profits to cover the costs and reach the break-even point. Now in our sixth year, we are almost there. In the future, I would like to replicate my model in other countries such as Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon or Turkey, from where many women are contacting us in this direction.

I believe that providing people with a livelihood is the best way to fight terrorism. We need to create more social enterprises and empower people to support themselves in their own countries and cultures.

This is my ambition for the future.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

High-growth firms in emerging economies account for more than 50% of all new jobs and sales despite making up less than 20% of all firms in manufacturing and services. These firms create a domino effect on others through increased demand and/or offering improved access to inputs.

A new World Bank Group report, “High-Growth Firms: Facts, Fiction, and Policy Options for Emerging Economies “acknowledges that the extraordinary capabilities of high-growth firms have attracted the interest of policy makers who are keen to figure out how to encourage the establishment of more of these high-performing firms to boost economic performance.  The report is based on a detailed analysis of firm dynamics in Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia, and Turkey. According to the report’s analysis, the link between productivity and high growth is often weak; as firms may grow for a variety of reasons beyond technical efficiency. (read more)

A modest growth recovery continues for countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan region. Higher oil prices are providing support for oil-exporting countries but are adding to pressures facing oil-importing countries. Meanwhile, growth in the Caucasus and Central Asia region exceeded expectations in 2017, but momentum is set to fade. At forecasted growth rates, it will take the region nearly two decades to reach the per capita income levels of emerging Europe. Faster-than-anticipated tightening of global financial conditions and rising trade tensions cloud the outlook for both regions. (read more)

For companies expanding their operations to Saudi Arabia, it can be a complex and lengthy process. The government has encouraged foreign investment and made reforms to make the process easier for companies, however, challenges still exist. Corporate immigration is a process that requires a lot of time and resources and it is essential that companies perform their due diligence to ensure they are compliant throughout the process. Below we break down corporate immigration into the Kingdom and what you need to know.

What is the government’s policy towards corporate immigration?

The Saudi government have shown a pro foreign investment attitude. by making the necessary reforms to encourage foreign investors to enter the Kingdom. These reforms, aligned with Vision 2030, aim to improve the environment for foreign investment and lower the barriers to entry.

The government have created laws and regulations that create a risk-avert environment for companies to thrive in. (read more)

 

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