Sultan Al-Jumaihi, the Director General of the Fujairah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated that the chamber has successfully established a comprehensive work environment to support entrepreneurship. This includes the creation of the Fujairah Center for Small Business Support and the establishment of business incubators that offer significant advantages to entrepreneurs, such as a five-year exemption from government fees, allocation of a percentage of government procurement for their products, and the provision of suitable land according to project requirements.
He explained that these initiatives are part of the chamber’s strategy to encourage young people to confidently and effectively enter the labor market, thereby contributing to economic growth and accommodating investments related to innovation, artificial intelligence, and modern technologies.
This was articulated during Al-Jumaihi’s presentation of a working paper titled “The Experience of the Fujairah Chamber in Empowering Entrepreneurship,” at a conference organized by the Arab Labor Organization in Amman, Jordan, themed “Developing the Training and Technical Education System for Future Entrepreneurs.”
Al-Jumaihi emphasized that building a civilization begins with nurturing youth and preparing them to face challenges and compete in various sectors. He stressed the importance of empowering them in the entrepreneurship sector to produce generations of young traders and businesspeople, which in turn supports the national economy.
He also highlighted the chamber’s commitment to organizing both short and long training programs, as well as specialized workshops to enhance the capabilities of companies. Additionally, it encourages the business community to adopt advanced technologies and artificial intelligence. Entrepreneurs are also invited to participate in trade delegations and local, regional, and international exhibitions, allowing them to explore the latest industrial and technological products and develop business relationships.
To support community projects, Al-Jumaihi noted the chamber’s signing of a collaboration agreement with the National Fund for Community Responsibility in the UAE, “Majra,” to launch the “Community Entrepreneurs” program. This program aims to finance emerging projects and strengthen social innovation and sustainable development in Fujairah, in addition to efforts to open new markets through engagement with trade delegations and signing cooperation agreements with international partners.
The conference concluded with several recommendations, including the necessity of updating national strategies for technical education and training to align with the requirements of the digital economy and future skills. It also emphasized integrating entrepreneurship skills into educational curricula and policies, enhancing the media’s role in promoting a culture of self-employment through awareness campaigns and success stories, alongside developing flexible lifelong learning training programs that include digital skills and modern technologies. Furthermore, it advocated for private sector involvement in retraining and qualifying graduates through tax incentives and strengthening the role of labor unions in shaping national strategies to ensure they meet the needs of the job market and the digital economy.
Al-Jumaihi reviewed some of the chamber’s significant achievements in empowering entrepreneurs over the past three years, indicating that more than 50 training courses and workshops have been organized to develop skills, contributing to the graduation of 100 entrepreneurs through the Professional Diploma Program in Trade and Entrepreneurship.