ADM NEWS | The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED) is participating in the inaugural Abu Dhabi Global Entrepreneurship Festival, held under the patronage of Sheikh Zayed bin Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan until 22nd April at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre under the theme, “Your Impact. Our Economy’s Pulse.”
KFED’s participation reflects its commitment to strengthening Abu Dhabi’s SME landscape by empowering Emirati entrepreneurs to scale their ventures, while providing networking opportunities with investors and decision-makers.
As part of its participation, the Fund is launching the ‘Funding on the Spot’ initiative, an innovative platform designed to facilitate entrepreneurs’ access to financing during the festival by enabling immediate eligibility assessments and providing on-site advisory support, including assistance with documentation and application processes.
The initiative targets Emirati business owners aged 21 to 60 operating in Abu Dhabi, particularly those in growth and expansion phases across priority sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, information technology, tourism and industry.
Additionally, the ‘Young Emirati Traders’ competition was announced under the patronage of Sheikha Rawdha bint Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in collaboration with the Khalifa Fund. The initiative targets youth aged 6 to 18, introducing them to entrepreneurship through hands-on learning while building awareness of emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and clean energy, alongside promoting financial literacy in partnership with banks and financial institutions.
As part of the festival programme, Khalifa Al Kuwaiti, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship Sector at KFED, participated in a panel discussion titled ‘Building Abu Dhabi as a Global Founder Platform’, which explored Abu Dhabi’s position within the global entrepreneurship ecosystem and the role of alignment between government policies, capital flows and enabling institutions in supporting start-up growth.
During the session, he outlined KFED’s perspective on institutional support for entrepreneurs, the challenges facing businesses in early growth and scaling stages, and mechanisms to balance access to finance with long-term commercial sustainability.
In parallel, the Fund is delivering a series of specialised workshops aimed at strengthening entrepreneurial capabilities, including ‘From Concept to First Revenue’, ‘Financial Strategy and Pricing Confidence’ and ‘Strategic Customer Discovery’. These sessions aim to bridge the gap between theory and practice, supporting both early-stage founders and scaling businesses while aligning with market needs.
KFED and the Abu Dhabi Youth Business Council (ADYBC) also signed a memorandum of understanding. Khalifa Al Kuwaiti and Mansoor Al Sayegh, Chairman of ADYBC, signed the agreement, which aims to enhance Abu Dhabi’s entrepreneurship ecosystem by empowering young entrepreneurs, facilitating participation in key economic events and expanding access to funding opportunities and new markets.
KFED’s participation highlights the impact of its initiatives in supporting SME growth across the Emirate. To date, the Fund has supported more than 1,200 projects and provided financing exceeding AED1.8 billion, reinforcing the role of SMEs in driving economic diversification and positioning Abu Dhabi as a global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.
