Entrepreneur hub to be new DED home

Dubai: The Department of Economic Development (DED) announced it will move its offices and those of its four agencies to the Entrepreneur Business Village, Dubai's first integrated hub dedicated to entrepreneurs and business innovation.

The move, considered an indicator of continuing confidence and economic growth in the emirate, is part of DED's commitment to enriching and improving access to its customer services.

The Entrepreneur Business Village (EBV), a new purpose-built one-million-square-foot facility located adjacent to the Clock Tower in Deira, will offer small, medium and large businesses easy access to DED's diverse services and personnel, with the added benefit of onsite parking and facilities including business consultancy, parking and leisure. The Village is an initiative of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders.

Sami Al Qamzi, DED director general, said: "The move to Entrepreneur Business Village will contribute to creating an integrated work environment where all facilities and requirements are available for customers."

"One of our key objectives is to work more closely with the private sector and ensure that they have the opportunity to provide input into economic policy development.

"Together with our agencies - the Foreign Investment Office, the Export Development Corporation, the Dubai Shopping Festival Office and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders, which supports SME [small and medium enterprise] growth in Dubai - we will contribute to the economic growth plans of Dubai," added Al Qamzi.

Additional details about the timeframe of the move will be announced in coming months.

Entrepreneur Business Village is a strategic starting point for emerging businesses in Dubai as it includes funding institutions, strategic partners and capital investment companies.

The EBV offers services for establishing businesses, and will host other supporting services in the future.

"Shifting DED's offices and agencies to the Village will be a critical support to the SME sector as all manner of services will be available under one roof to help small and medium-sized companies set up and nurture business activity and contribute to Dubai's economic growth," said Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders.