Google has partnered with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development to launch a pilot program that gives 10 Emirati businesses access to advanced digital marketing tools, advertising credits, and expert mentorship.
Many small business owners struggle with limited budgets and lack the expertise to reach customers online. Traditional advertising platforms remain out of reach for most startups and growing companies. This collaboration helps bridge the gap.
The partnership puts Google’s AI-powered marketing tools directly into the hands of Emirati entrepreneurs. These businesses will learn how to create campaigns that work, track results that matter, and spend every dirham wisely.
Dubai SME Google Partnership Tackles Real Business Challenges
Small businesses face three major obstacles when trying to grow online. First, they don’t have large marketing budgets. Second, they lack trained staff who understand digital advertising. Third, they can’t access the same platforms that big companies use.
This partnership solves these problems through a shared investment model. Dubai SME, Google, and each participating business split the costs equally. This approach ensures entrepreneurs stay committed while keeping expenses manageable.
Participating companies receive strategic guidance from marketing experts who help them plan campaigns. They also get creative support to design ads that grab attention. Most importantly, they gain access to Google’s advertising ecosystem, the same tools multinational corporations use to reach billions of customers.
Google Partners With Dubai SME Through Proof-of-Concept Phase
The pilot phase will test the program model before expanding to more businesses. Dubai SME selected 10 high-potential Emirati companies based on specific criteria. These businesses come from various industries but share one thing: they’re ready to grow.
During this initial phase, participants will work closely with mentors from both Dubai SME and Google. They’ll learn how to use AI-powered tools that automate tasks, analyse customer behaviour, and optimise ad spending in real time.
Martin Roeske, Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google MENA, explained the vision: “Technology allows a traditional family business to reach the same global customers as a high-tech unicorn. By teaming up with Dubai SME, we’re putting Google’s most advanced AI tools, together with ad credits and mentorship, directly into the hands of Emirati entrepreneurs.”
The program focuses on practical skills. Participants will learn digital strategy, content creation, and campaign optimisation. They’ll discover how to turn website visitors into paying customers and how to measure return on investment.
Dubai SME Google Initiative Supports D33 Economic Goals
This collaboration directly supports Dubai’s Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double the emirate’s economy by 2033. The plan includes making Dubai the fastest-growing and most attractive hub for SMEs globally.
Small and medium enterprises form the backbone of Dubai’s economy. They create jobs, drive innovation, and help diversify revenue sources beyond oil. But for these businesses to compete internationally, they need digital capabilities that match companies in Silicon Valley, London, or Singapore.
Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, Acting CEO of Dubai SME, emphasised the program’s importance: “Under Dubai’s development strategy, SMEs play a central role in the economy. By building practical digital capabilities, we aim to help Emirati businesses scale, compete internationally, and contribute to the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.
The D33 agenda targets several ambitious goals: increasing foreign trade to AED 25.6 trillion, attracting AED 650 billion in foreign direct investment, and supporting 400 high-potential SMEs to become local champions.
How Google Partners With Dubai SME Benefits Emirati Entrepreneurs
The program delivers three main benefits that can transform how local businesses operate online.
First, advertising credits give businesses the budget to test campaigns without financial risk. They can experiment with different messages, target various customer segments, and discover what works before investing their own money.
Second, access to premium tools levels the playing field. Small businesses get the same AI-powered features that large corporations pay millions to use. These tools can predict which customers are most likely to buy, suggest the best times to show ads, and automatically adjust bids to maximise results.
Third, expert mentorship accelerates learning. Instead of spending years making mistakes, entrepreneurs receive guidance from professionals who’ve helped thousands of businesses succeed online. This support extends beyond Google tools to cover broader digital strategy, helping companies build sustainable competitive advantages.
The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism adds another layer of value through its extensive network. Participants can connect with potential partners, suppliers, and customers across both public and private sectors.
Google Partners With Dubai SME Program Expansion Plans
After completing the pilot phase, Dubai SME and Google will analyse performance data to refine the program. They’ll identify which tools delivered the best results, which training methods worked most effectively, and what support services proved most valuable.
Based on these insights, they’ll design a larger program to benefit hundreds of Emirati businesses. The expansion will maintain the co-funding model while possibly adding new features like peer learning groups, industry-specific training modules, or advanced certification programs.
This phased approach reduces risk while building a foundation for long-term success. Rather than launching a massive program that might miss the mark, Dubai SME and Google are testing concepts, gathering feedback, and adapting their approach.
The collaboration demonstrates how governments and tech companies can work together to support entrepreneurship. Instead of offering generic business advice, they’re providing specific tools, measurable resources, and accountability mechanisms that drive real results.
Why Partnership Works
Several factors make this partnership particularly effective for Emirati entrepreneurs.
The equal cost-sharing model creates psychological ownership. When businesses invest their own money, they pay attention, show up for training sessions, and implement what they learn. They have skin in the game.
The focus on practical skills over theoretical knowledge means participants can apply lessons immediately. They’re not sitting through lectures about marketing principles; they’re building actual campaigns, analysing real data, and adjusting strategies based on performance.
The combination of technology and mentorship addresses both tools and knowledge. Many programs provide one or the other, but this initiative recognises that entrepreneurs need both to succeed. The best software in the world won’t help someone who doesn’t know what questions to ask or which metrics matter.
The alignment with D33 ensures long-term commitment and resources. This isn’t a one-time grant program that disappears after six months. It’s part of Dubai’s decade-long strategy to transform its economy.
The program also recognises that digital marketing constantly evolves. Today’s winning strategies become tomorrow’s basic requirements. By partnering with Google, Dubai SME ensures participants stay current with the latest tools, techniques, and best practices.
What Success Looks Like For Google Partners With Dubai SME
Success will be measured in concrete outcomes: increased revenue, expanded customer bases, improved profit margins, and enhanced global competitiveness.
Businesses should be able to reach customers in new markets without opening physical locations. A company selling traditional Arabic coffee might discover buyers in Europe, Asia, or North America. A tech startup might connect with enterprise clients across the Middle East.
Participants should become more efficient with their marketing spending. Instead of wasting money on ads that don’t convert, they’ll target the right customers with the right messages at the right times.
They should also build internal capabilities that last beyond the program. Employees will gain skills they can apply for years. Companies will establish processes for testing, measuring, and optimising their marketing efforts.
Most importantly, these businesses should inspire other Emirati entrepreneurs. When the pilot companies share their success stories, more business owners will recognise what’s possible. They’ll see that competing globally doesn’t require moving to another country or selling to foreign investors; it requires the right tools, knowledge, and support.
Rather than relying solely on traditional methods like loans or tax incentives, this partnership equips entrepreneurs with the digital capabilities they need to compete in a connected global economy.
As these 10 pilot businesses prove what’s possible, hundreds more will follow. Dubai’s goal of becoming the world’s most attractive SME hub will move from aspiration to reality, one digitally empowered business at a time.
