ENBD organises for entrepreneurs and SMEs

Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, announced on Thursday that it had partnered with The Intelligent SME magazine, to launch “Emirates NBD Global Business Series,” a series of 12 monthly networking sessions for SMEs with UAE business icons. The series is expected to kick off on Oct.17, 2012 at the Ritz Carlton, DIFC, and will feature Yogesh Mehta, the charismatic Managing Director of Petrochem Middle East. Mehta is expected to share the story of his struggle, growth and success in the chemical distribution industry and will speak about the experiences that shaped his life. The “Emirates NBD Global Business Series,” is in line with the strategic objectives of the Business Banking division to support the growth of SMEs, who constitute a crucial aspect of the UAE economy. In 2011, small and medium enterprises contributed 60 per cent to the UAE’s gross domestic product, a growth of 100 per cent from the previous year, according to recent statistics by the UAE Ministry of Economy. “SMEs are a key driver of the UAE economy,” said Vikas Thapar, Head of Business Banking, Emirates NBD. “As a flagship bank of the UAE, Emirates NBD recognises the significance of SMEs and aims to work closely with them to assist in their future growth and development and the “Emirates NBD Global Business Series” is one such initiative.” “We are extremely delighted to offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to get inspired by success stories of UAE leading businessmen and reach their own potential,” he added. “Mentoring is key to driving SME growth and small and medium enterprise owners can benefit greatly from first hand experiences of business icons like Yogesh Mehta,” said Abdul Baset Al Janahi, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai SME, the strategic alliance partner for the Emirates NBD Global Business Series. “We are confident that SME owners and entrepreneurs attending such networking sessions, held in a casual and informal atmosphere, will get some interesting insights from the speaker.” As at Dec.31, 2011, ENBD’s total assets were Dhs284.6 billion. The Group has a leading retail banking franchise in the UAE, with over 168 branches and over 780 ATMs and SDMs. It is a major player in the UAE corporate banking arena and has strong Islamic banking, Global Markets & Treasury, Investment Banking, Private Banking, Asset Management and Brokerage operations. From gulftoday