Tomorrow's new start-ups are mired in today's red-tape



The word "entrepreneurship" has been spreading around the Arab world like wildfire, in large part due to the ever-increasing value, innovation and support that entrepreneurs bring to developing nations and their respective industries.

But more importantly, entrepreneurship is being given extra attention by leaders across the Arab world as an answer to the unemployment wave that the region still struggles to come to terms with.

Some Arab countries already suffer from double-digit unemployment figures. With job prospects low, many individuals are looking to their own devices, rather than private corporations or the government sector, to make ends meet.

These people are not, however, always getting the help they need. That goes for aspiring business leaders here in the United Arab Emirates.

There are two aspects to developing entrepreneurial industries - awareness and implementation. On one of these the UAE is doing quite well. But on the other, the UAE continues to suffer.

There are many separate initiatives working in parallel to promote entrepreneurship for the nation's youth. These awareness undertakings are vast and varied.

Shining examples of these initiatives on a government level include the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development and the Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development's Akoun entrepreneurship awareness campaign, which is currently in its third year of operation.

These respective entities tour universities throughout the UAE hosting speaker sessions, workshops and competitions in hopes of pushing young people into the private sector by starting their own small to medium enterprises. Both government initiatives have been a success if judged by the amount of capital being disbursed to start-ups - measured in the billions of dirhams.

Even non-profits have started getting active. One, Injaz-UAE, partners with various business leaders and entrepreneurs to inspire people as early as high school to venture into the world of entrepreneurship through the learning and development of entrepreneurial best practices.

The list of awareness initiatives goes on; some might argue it's too much. But for the good of developing entrepreneurial spirit, these efforts are helpful.

And yet, such initiatives still leave young people asking: "What now?" This is where business programmes in the UAE have failed to deliver.

While fund-raising is among the most critical issues for entrepreneurs around the world, the problem here is not as acute. The implementation I'm talking about has to do with getting a business up and running, and navigating various elements of government bureaucracy such as the municipalities, authorities and legal entities.

For reasons that are difficult to understand, national and local agencies across the board seem stuck in a tangle of red-tape, preferring outdated procedures and processes rather than efficiencies. This slows down the start-up culture of the UAE.

There is a state of mind I put myself into when it comes to finalising paperwork in government-related entities that goes something like this: "I doubt I will get this finalised today, because I am sure there is a letter I didn't receive, a stamp I didn't get or a supporting letter I am just finding out about that I didn't bring."

For a lot of people this is a painful process, visiting the same office seven times a day to get a single step of the start-up process finalised. Compared to some of the top countries on the World Bank's ease of doing business index, the UAE is lower than it should be.

The process is one thing, but as important is the rationale behind each step of the process, which is why getting an answer like "I don't know" to a basic question or decision can be frustrating.

An entrepreneurial culture has to be holistic, a give and take between government and those putting their necks on the line to build a business.

And yet, there remain entities within local and federal government that make the process as hard as possible. Some of the entrepreneurial awareness taking place in educational institutions could be spread to those government entities to speed up business development.

New businesses benefit from smooth start-up processes, that allow entrepreneurs to focus on perfecting their products and services and not on wasting time getting tied up in the unnecessary bureaucracy.

The UAE's leadership has called on businesses, banks and government-related entities to promote entrepreneurship. But government has a role here, too. The nation owes it to those who take up the call to make the process as pain-free as possible.

Awareness campaigns and start-up initiatives on how to proceed are well advanced, but they are only half of what must be done to turn on and keep the UAE's entrepreneurial spirit burning.

Khalid Al Ameri is an associate at an Abu Dhabi development company

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PROFILE

Name: Enhance Fitness 

Year started: 2018 

Based: UAE 

Employees: 200 

Amount raised: $3m 

Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors 

Essentials

The flights

Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes. 
 

The stay

A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.

Scoreline

Germany 2

Werner 9', Sane 19'

Netherlands 2

Promes 85', Van Dijk 90'

Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

Company%20Profile
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The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

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