The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development strengthened its financing ecosystem with seven integrated programmes. These programmes are aimed at supporting Emirati startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across different stages of growth.
The programmes cover businesses from the initial setup stage to expansion, innovation and advanced technology adoption. The new framework will help entrepreneurs access financing that matches their specific business needs and growth plans.
The initiative supports Abu Dhabi’s economic priorities and the UAE’s broader push to promote entrepreneurship, economic diversification and technology-led growth.
The updated framework introduces financing options spanning business formation, working capital, expansion, digital transformation, and technology adoption, enabling entrepreneurs to access funding tailored to their business needs and stage of development.
The AI & Robotics Loan aims to assist SMEs in adopting advanced technologies. The funding will assist in facilitating digitalization and boosting operational and production efficiency in addition to improving the competitiveness of firms in key industries.
The Revolving Loan increases flexibility for enterprises to manage their working capital. This allows enterprises to receive instant loans and reuse the credit line after repaying the loan.
The remaining programmes focus on small, working capital, fixed assets and expansion loans. These cater to various requirements such as operations, working capital, capital investment and business growth.
The seven-programme framework focuses on three priorities:
Empowering new entrepreneurs
Supporting innovation and advanced technologies
Improving operational liquidity
Looking ahead, the fund said, “The programmes are designed after evaluating financing gaps, studying market solutions and engaging entrepreneurs and SMEs through surveys and workshops. The objective is to ensure that financing better reflects the actual needs of businesses at different stages of development.” The initiative comes as Abu Dhabi continues to strengthen its startup ecosystem and promote entrepreneurship across priority sectors.