Khalifa Fund & Noon.com Team Up To Support Local SMEs

The Khalifa Fund for Economic Development (KFED) stated partnership with noon.com. The partnership aims to enhance mutual cooperation through the implementation of a three tiered initiative, including preferential rates at noon.com; the ‘noon Mahali’ initiative supporting Emirati micro businesses; and optimized positioning for local food producers on noon.com’s dedicated grocery platform, noon Daily.

The strategic new partnership is part of e-Empower, the Khalifa Fund initiative launched last month under the ‘Abu Dhabi Inspires’ program to support Abu Dhabi SMEs, and is in line with the UAE’s national objectives to enhance food security.

“The new partnership helps deliver on the goals of the ‘Abu Dhabi Inspires’ program, which was launched by the Abu Dhabi Government to drive forward agile, innovative thinking within the government and the community and to encourage ideas that have a positive impact on people now and into the future. Khalifa Fund is delighted to bring noon.com onboard as the latest partner of the e-Empower initiative. We continue to be dedicated towards collaborating with leading organizations who provide an abundance of knowledge and resources to Abu Dhabi’s SME sector; which is an economically imperative sector that contributes substantially to the Emirate’s non-oil revenues,” explained Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and Chairman, KFED.

Through the collaborative partnership between Khalifa Fund and noon, SMEs are claimed to gain immediate access to noon’s millions of loyal customers, established and trusted local logistics and fulfillment network and secure payment gateway. e-Empower businesses will also be eligible for unique benefits tailored and personalized to amplify their business.

Mohamed Alabbar, Founder, noon stated, “noon’s partnership with the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development is an important step in the safeguarding of our digital landscape for future generations. We must give our local SMEs, the ones who have been on the frontline, the best tools to thrive. E-empower companies will grow with noon, expanding their reach to millions of customers in the region. Through noon Daily we will ensure the safe delivery of fresh produce and non-perishable items from local farmers. We will support, champion and believe in every E-empower company, providing the best tools to help their businesses rise, driving the digital economy and inspiring the next generation of local entrepreneurs.”

All e-Empower companies that have been verified by both Khalifa Fund and noon are said to be eligible to sign-up to the platform and access tailored online courses designed to guide sellers through the best practices of selling online, including how to optimize and amplify their offering to better reach audiences across the region. Participating entities will also receive seller support from a dedicated in-house team to help with the onboarding process, content creation and offer advice on overall selling performance.

The noon Mahali program, an initiative committed to supporting local micro entrepreneurs, is said to be made available to all qualified e-Empower companies. All Mahali sellers are guided and supported throughout their ecommerce journey by noon to become established sellers in the local market.

Noon’s dedicated grocery platform, noon Daily, will partner with Khalifa Fund to empower local farms; helping them sell their produce online and enabling safe and secure delivery to customers across the UAE. Local farms will have a dedicated space on noon Daily for customers to shop their produce seamlessly and help drive sales online.