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According to WAM, Dubai Customs has expanded Emirati companies’ role in government procurement through an integrated set of initiatives that align with the Emirati Supplier Programme managed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development, also known as Dubai SME. The value of purchases and contracts awarded to national suppliers increased from Dh8.2 million in 2024 to Dh9.7 million in 2025, an 18 percent rise that WAM data attributes to sustained policy support. Dubai Customs conducted 363 transactions with 27 Emirati companies that are members of Dubai SME in 2025 compared with 280 transactions involving 26 national enterprises the prior year. More than 18 suppliers benefited directly from the measures implemented during the period.
The authority granted priority in selected purchases, activated direct contracting according to approved controls, reserved certain procurement activities for national suppliers, and encouraged main contractors to engage Emirati firms in project execution, WAM reported. Qualifying suppliers received exemptions from tender document fees and initial guarantees while gaining access to dedicated display and sales spaces within customs premises on an annual basis. Dubai Customs also delivered free media and promotional support across its platforms and those of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation to increase visibility for the participating companies’ products and services.
Dr Abdulla Busenad, Director General of Dubai Customs, said supporting Emirati suppliers is an investment in Dubai’s economy and future. “Supporting Emirati suppliers is an investment in Dubai’s economy and future. National small and medium-sized enterprises are a key pillar in building a more diverse and resilient economy. At Dubai Customs, we continue to develop initiatives that give these companies greater opportunities to grow, increase their participation in government procurement, and provide them with a supportive business environment that helps them innovate and expand, in line with the vision of our wise leadership and the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda,” Busenad said according to WAM. He added that building a sustainable partnership with Emirati suppliers has a direct impact on Dubai’s economic competitiveness.
Rashid Al Sharid, Executive Director of the Finance and Administration Sector at Dubai Customs, stated that the department sought to transform supplier support beyond procedural steps. “We were keen to ensure that initiatives supporting Emirati suppliers go beyond procedural facilitation measures and become real business opportunities that open wider prospects for national companies to grow and expand,” Al Sharid said in the WAM dispatch. The resulting framework combined procurement facilitation, institutional backing and promotional activities to reinforce the suppliers’ competitive position and presence within government projects.
Dubai Customs organised the first government exhibition dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises in 2019, creating a platform for Emirati suppliers to present their offerings and forge partnerships with public departments, WAM noted. That early step positioned the authority among the first entities to implement targeted measures supporting the Emirati Supplier Programme, whose goals include improving national companies’ access to government and semi-government entities while expanding their share of supply chains. The programme additionally supplies guidance, capacity-building and related services to strengthen participating firms.
Programme-wide figures compiled by Dubai SME show that purchases and contracts made available to Emirati companies surpassed Dh1.78 billion in 2025 with more than 84 supporting entities involved and over 1,070 national enterprises benefiting. The U.S. International Trade Administration has documented that Dubai Government procurement largely operates through the eSupply online portal, which serves as the primary channel for suppliers to access tenders issued by more than 40 major entities including Dubai Customs. Separate coverage by Arabian Business placed total 2025 government contract awards to Emirati SMEs at a record $280.4 million across the emirate.
