Khalifa Fund launching highly anticipated 5th annual exhibition and ceremony tomorrow

50 successful projects will be showcased to inspire greater innovation among entrepreneurs

UAE, Abu Dhabi, 6 October 2013: Under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development is kicking off the fifth edition of its annual exhibition and ceremony next Monday. The three-day exhibition will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, showcasing 50 projects that have been funded by Khalifa Fund throughout the year.

HE Abdullah Saeed Al Darmaki, CEO of the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development stated: “Through this exhibition, Khalifa Fund will motivate other entrepreneurs by displaying the incredible success stories from projects that we have financed. We will show how we have assisted the owners to overcome their obstacles, particularly at the start-up phase which is the most challenging.”

He pointed out that the selected projects fall under the umbrella of the Fund's goal of encouraging constant improvement and promoting a culture of creativity and innovation that will shape the economic landscape of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, while enhancing the country's competitiveness and improving the living standards for its people.

Al Darmaki further explained that the exhibition will feature 50 stands, with projects that have benefited from Khalifa Fund's funding and services participating for the first time. The most deserving participants were meticulously selected based on the quality and innovation shown in their operations. A diverse range of industries is covered, including industrial products, food and beverages, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and service industries among others.

Explaining why a three-day duration was chosen, Al Darmaki said Khalifa Fund aims to give the best possible access for the greatest amount of citizens, students and entrepreneurs to come and be inspired by successful entrepreneurs from their own emirate and nation, so that they can emulate this success in pursuit of excellence, innovation and creativity by taking advantage of the services offered by Khalifa Fund.

Khalifa Fund will also showcase a number of social initiatives that it is spearheading as a way to give back to the local community. These include the "Sougha" initiative which aims to preserve the national heritage by encouraging entrepreneurs to convert traditional crafts into a lucrative source of income for themselves and their families. Meanwhile another initiative encourages farmers to adopt smart hydroponic methods in order to save water.

The annual event will also see the announcement of the winners of the Khalifa Fund Award for Entrepreneurship, featuring governmental, quasi-governmental and private sector entities.

Awards will be presented in several categories, namely the Bedaya program, Zeyada program, Khutwa program, Heritage sector, Membership program and the Best Emirati Project for non-beneficiaries of the Fund's services.

About Khalifa Fund

The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development was initiated in June 2007 as an independent agency of the Government of Abu Dhabi, and has now amassed AED2 Billion in capital to fulfill the various requirements of entrepreneurs. The Fund has established a comprehensive program to expand entrepreneurs' business projects, in order to cultivate an appropriate business-enabling environment and to enhance the capabilities of potential entrepreneurs.

The Fund uses a modern assistance and support services system that includes training, development, access to market intelligence and consultancy services as well as developing various marketing initiatives.

In addition, the Fund provides various financial solutions for promising enterprises that may serve the national economy in the form of programs such as Khutwa, Bedaya, Zeyada and Tasneea, which are made available to all types of SMEs.
The Khalifa Fund has also launched socio-economic initiatives such as Sougha, which aims to preserve the Emirati heritage; Al Radda, the UAE's first program for prison inmates; and Ishraq for patients recovering from addiction at the national rehabilitation center.