Vision 2030 Jan. 2011 | Page 107

The Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council’s (Mubdiaa) programme also supports home-based businesses for women, providing loans, guarantees or equity investments as well as training, marketing and technical assistance. Dr. Ahmad Al Mutawa, Chief Executive of the Khalifa Fund states that, “There are only two stipulations that are required to be met by an aspiring entrepreneur wishing to avail of the assistance of the Khlaifa Fund. Firstly, they must be a UAE national, and secondly, the enterprise that they are creating must be Abu Dhabi based.” “At the present time, the vast majority of Emiratis work in the public sector. Our role as an organisation is central to the creation of a functioning private sector lead by UAE nationals. The Khalifa fund has been created to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit of Abu Dhabi.” “We need to create a culture of entrepreneurship over the long term and the logical place to start therefore, is the school system. We are communicating at school level and running competitions whereby each class develops its own company and competes against one another”, explains the CEO. The methodolgy that the Khalifa Fund takes is extremely supportive in engaging aspiring business leaders. “We first evaluate the entrepreneur, and his or her proposal, and then go about developing a plan as to how we can work together and support him or her in achieving their vision”, declares Dr. Al Mutawa, “We want people to understand that the Khlaifa Fund will assist with the development of SMEs in any way th ?????????Q????????)?????t(+?q]???????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????]?????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????t)Q??????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????)-???????????????????????????????????????((???((0