Expo 2020 Dubai awarded Dh6.8 billion ($1.8bn) worth of contracts to small and medium businesses, exceeding a 2016 commitment to award at least 20 per cent of direct and indirect spend to them.
The amount represents more than a quarter of all Expo 2020 Dubai contracts in terms of value, organisers of the event said in a statement.
Among the 3,245 contracts, 66 per cent, or 2,150, were SMEs, including 1,390 local businesses, the statement said.
Most of the 760 overseas SME suppliers came from the UK (24 per cent), the US (16 per cent), France (4 per cent), India (4 per cent), and Australia (4 per cent).
Overall, suppliers from outside the UAE were sourced from 94 countries.
"Our commitment to SMEs has been embedded into our planning since the very beginning of our world Expo journey," Mukhtar Safi, chief financial officer and deputy chief executive of Expo 2020 Dubai, said.
"The integration of SMEs into the delivery of what has been a truly exceptional world Expo will be an important part of Expo’s legacy for the UAE and wider region, stimulating employment, strengthening existing industries, enhancing SME competitiveness and ultimately contributing to sustainable economic growth."
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The UAE pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
View from the Garden in the Sky at Expo 2020. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Cristiano Ronaldo taking a selfie with fans after a Q&A session for Expo’s Health and Wellness Week at the Al Wasl Plaza. Pawan Singh / The National -
A young guest enjoys the spectacular light show at Al Wasl Plaza. Victor Besa / The National -
The flowing contours of the UAE pavilion. Victor Besa / The National -
Visitors follow a foggy path to the summit of the Swiss pavilion. Pawan Singh / The National -
Infinite Nights: Coldplay perform at Expo. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Tricolours to the fore as France marks its Expo celebration day. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The Saudi pavilion lit up at night. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The French pavilion features a projection of 'The Rose', a 13th-century stained-glass window from Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Dubai opened Expo 2020 with a dazzling ceremony featuring fireworks and light displays. AFP -
A young visitor checks out the Expo's popular water feature. Pawan Singh / The National -
Students from Abu Dhabi Police Academy at Al Wasl Plaza. Pawan Singh / The National -
Aerial view of a calligraphy bench. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
A visitor takes a picture of the spectacular Mobility Pavilion. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Aerial view of Luxembourg's pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
An aerobatics team pass above the Pakistan pavilion. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Inside the Malaysia pavilion. Pawan Singh / The National -
The Al Wasl dome is displayed with different faces at the Police Academy Graduation in celebration of the country's 50th anniversary. Ruel Pableo / The National -
A young visitor stands in front of 'Fluidum', a kinetic statue made up of 85 robotically controlled mirrors, representing a vertical water surface, at the Czech pavilion. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
The Mare and the Foal sculpture outside Alif - The Mobility Pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Night view of Terra - The Sustainability Pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The Women's Pavilion by Cartier. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Exterior detail of Kazakhstan's pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
A school group inside the UAE pavilion holding Expo passports. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The Water Feature. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Al Wasl on a foggy morning. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Visitors at the Montenegro pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The Kuwait pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Artists performing during the UAE’s 50th National Day celebration at the Al Wasl plaza. Pawan Singh / The National -
A visitor inside the ‘Gorge’ at Finland's pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Fireworks seen from The Mobility Portal. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The opening ceremony. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Exterior of the Poland pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Infinite Nights: Alicia Keys at Al Wasl. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The UK pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The Singapore pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The Bahrain pavilion. Pawan Singh / The National -
The Saudi Arabia pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Opening ceremony dress rehearsal. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Firework display during UAE National Day and the Golden Jubilee celebrations. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Aerial view of the UK pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The Russia pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The Monaco pavilion. The entrance is based on a kaleidoscope. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The installation celebrating the UAE Golden Jubilee at the Mobility Pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The UAE pavilion on a foggy morning. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Turkmenistan's pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Visitors outside Switzerland's pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Junaid Mohammed proposes to Hiba Zubair at the Water Feature. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The US pavilion is reflected in a visitor's sunglasses. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
The SME sector represents more than 94 per cent of the total companies in the UAE and employs more than 86 per cent of the private sector workforce, a Dubai Chamber report released in November 2020 showed.
The UAE ranked first worldwide in the latest Global Entrepreneurship Index, outperforming major global economies such as the US, the UK, Japan, Canada, South Korea and some EU countries. Last year, the Emirates was placed fourth in the GEI rankings, which are compiled by London-based researcher Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.
From construction firms to event organisers, retail stores to food and beverage outlets, SMEs played a vital role in the success of Expo 2020 Dubai, which awarded Dh1.06bn to UAE-based SMEs in 2021 alone, the statement said.
Of this, Dh161.7 million in contracts were awarded to Dubai SMEs, as part of the Dubai government procurement programme. The initiative requires UAE entities where the government holds equity of 25 per cent or more to allocate 10 per cent of their purchasing to Emirati firms that are members of Dubai SME — part of the Department of Economic Development.
Expo 2020 Dubai, which ran for six months, closed on March 31. Work is now under way to transform it into District 2020, which will welcome the first of 85 start-up companies from October as part of legacy plans.
