What This MoU Means for UAE Startups

In the UAE’s steadily evolving startup landscape, partnerships are increasingly shaping how small businesses access the tools they need to grow. The latest example comes from Al Fardan Exchange and the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center(Sheraa), who have formalised a strategic collaboration aimed at supporting startups and SMEs with practical financial solutions.

The MoU was signed during the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2026, bringing together two organisations that operate at different ends of the business ecosystem — one with decades of financial services experience, the other deeply embedded in founder development.

For SMEs, financial access is rarely just about transactions. It often determines how smoothly a company can manage operations, pay international suppliers, expand into new markets, or handle cross-border growth. Recognising this, the partnership will focus on engaging with Sheraa’s network of more than 500 startups and SMEs to better understand their day-to-day financial needs.

As part of the collaboration, Al Fardan Exchange will participate in selected Sheraa initiatives, including demo days, community programmes, and investor forums. The idea is straightforward: create more direct interaction between founders and financial service providers, so solutions can be shaped around real operational challenges rather than assumptions.

The timing is notable. The UAE was recently ranked number one globally in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2024–2025 report, reflecting the country’s continued focus on entrepreneurship as a pillar of economic diversification. In this environment, the role of financial institutions is gradually expanding beyond traditional services to becoming ecosystem partners.

Hasan Fardan Al Fardan, CEO of Al Fardan Exchange, emphasised that startups and SMEs remain a key driver of economic growth and innovation in the UAE. He noted that access to compliant and trusted financial services is a critical factor in helping founders build resilient businesses, particularly those with cross-border ambitions.

Echoing this, H.E. Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa, highlighted the importance of connecting founders with the right partners. According to her, tailored financial solutions can help startups operate more efficiently and scale into new markets, supporting the UAE’s broader goal of building a diversified, innovation-led economy.

For SMEs, collaborations like this may not always make headlines, but they can influence the practical realities of running a business — from smoother money transfers to better financial guidance. As the ecosystem matures, partnerships between established financial institutions and entrepreneurship enablers appear set to play a more structured role in supporting founders beyond the early stages.

In a market where growth often depends on speed, trust, and access, such collaborations are becoming less of an option and more of a necessity.