Dubai’s SMEs form backbone of economic resilience, says Dubai Chambers chief

Dubai: A tightly coordinated ‘unified team’ approach between the government and the business sector is ensuring Dubai’s economic resilience during a time of global uncertainties, according to Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers. Speaking to CNBC Arabia, Lootah highlighted how Dubai Chambers has held multiple meetings with the private sector to discover key challenges. “Dubai Chambers held more than 62 meetings with business groups and councils to ensure business continuity and resilience across the emirate. Through these meetings we capture the key challenges and discuss the appropriate solutions with sector specialists and stakeholders. We then relay these challenges along with the proposed solutions to government committees working around the clock,” he said. Strong alignment Lootah noted that the strong alignment between the public and private sectors created a clear sense of a unified team in Dubai. “There’s also a clear focus on key sectors. Among the first groups we met with were the fresh fruit and vegetable traders, food manufacturers, and the logistics sector. We have had multiple workshops with the logistic sector, bringing together more than 270 major companies along with leading family businesses in the emirate. This ensures challenges are addressed in real time with major operators across Dubai,” he added. At the core of this unified system is Dubai’s SME-driven private sector. Lootah noted that small and medium-sized enterprises account for about 98 per cent of businesses in the emirate, giving the economy agility during crises. “In Dubai, 98 per cent of the private sector is made up of small and medium-sized enterprises. This entrepreneurial spirit gives the city a high degree of flexibility in every major challenge, whether the COVID-19 pandemic or the global financial crisis in 2008. The private sector in Dubai has consistently found solutions, but continued alignment with the public sector remains essential,” he added. A global approach Beyond domestic coordination, Dubai Chambers is also strengthening ties with international partners to ensure trade continuity. Lootah said the organisation has engaged directly with chambers of commerce in key markets such as China and India. “This helps ensure the continued flow of goods and explore mechanisms to strengthen trade exchange, particularly under current conditions,” he said. The confidence in Dubai’s market is also evident from the new businesses being set up in the emirate. On April 5, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers announced that more than 2,700 new companies joined the chamber’s membership during March 2026.