Entrepreneurial festival Dream Station to start on February 27

Dubai-based, high-potential small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), thought-leaders and decision-makers are all set to convene at ‘Dream Station’ – and entrepreneurial festival in the UAE. It will run from February 27-March 7, 2020 at the Meydan Grandstand.

A joint initiative between Meydan One, SMEDistrict and Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City – District One, Dream Station aims to enhance the UAE’s burgeoning SME sector to open up new opportunities for business growth and offer on-the-job business learning.

Dream Station will foster relationships for SMEs with regional and global players in the sector. The event will also see the official launch of SMEDistrict, a new retail incubation programme hosted in exclusive partnership with Meydan One, to provide an ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs and home-grown concepts within the retail, technology and F&B industry at 80-90% less set-up costs.

At Dream Station, retail SMEs can benefit from showcasing and selling their latest collections at the ‘Retail Corner’ that is set to host unique fashion shows, while SMEs in the F&B sector can promote their novel gastronomic concepts. Among the home-grown brands that will be present at Dream Station include Aym Design, Be You Boutique, Moza Jewellery, Liwa Dates, Molten Me Sweets and The Perk Café, among several others.

Some studies indicate that only 10% of SMEs who start their businesses actually report growth. The SMEDistrict programme was tailored to give 360° support to ambitious and innovative UAE-based entrepreneurs to launch their brands locally and grow globally, to create a platform for disruptive talent, where investors are hungry to fund trendsetters who can potentially develop the next international retail brands.

“Our vision is to create a strong network that supports and nurtures the growth of local SMEs. With this new retail incubation programme, we aim to transform local home-grown brands into global businesses in line with the city’s entrepreneurial spirit,” said Sheikha Aynour Hussain, CEO & founder, SMEDistrict.