Latest news with #NajlaAlMidfa
Sharjah 24
a day ago
- Business
- Sharjah 24
MOCCAE, EGF partner to boost UAE AgriTech SMEs
MoU signed at Emirates Agriculture Exhibition 2025 The agreement was formalized during the Emirates Agriculture Exhibition and Conference 2025 in Al Ain, attended by Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Najla Al Midfa, Vice Chair and Managing Director of EGF. Strategic partnership to empower SMEs in food security and AgriTech The collaboration unites two key national entities to support SMEs working in food and water security, agricultural innovation, local production, environmental technologies, and climate-aligned business models. Shared vision for a sustainable and resilient economy MOCCAE and EGF aim to unlock opportunities for UAE businesses to lead in creating a more self-sufficient, sustainable, and resilient economy — addressing food supply security and advancing environmental innovation. Framework for knowledge exchange and promotion The MoU establishes a platform for sharing expertise, promoting eligible companies, and showcasing success stories aligned with the UAE's climate and food security goals. Minister Dr Amna's statement on partnership goals Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak emphasized the importance of this partnership in achieving the National Food Security Strategy 2051 and UAE Vision 2031. She highlighted the private sector's role in driving environmental resilience and future readiness. EGF's commitment to long-term support for innovators Najla Al Midfa expressed EGF's dedication to supporting businesses that address national challenges through innovation and scale, providing not just capital but strategic guidance, governance, and network access. About Emirates growth fund With AED 1 billion in capital, EGF invests in UAE-based growth-stage companies in strategically important sectors, offering long-term partnerships designed to help businesses scale sustainably.
Hi Dubai
2 days ago
- Business
- Hi Dubai
MoCCAE Partners with Emirates Growth Fund to Boost Food and Environmental Resilience
The UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has signed a strategic agreement with the Emirates Growth Fund (EGF) to support the growth of local companies driving innovation in food security, agriculture, and environmental resilience. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the Emirates Agriculture Exhibition and Conference 2025 in Al Ain, in the presence of Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Najla Al Midfa, Vice Chair and Managing Director of EGF. The partnership aims to accelerate the development of UAE-based small and medium enterprises working across food and water security, agricultural technology, local production, and climate-aligned business models. 'This partnership paves the way for achieving our shared environmental objectives aligned with the National Food Security Strategy 2051 and We the UAE Vision 2031,' said Dr. Al Dahak, highlighting the critical role of the private sector in advancing national sustainability goals. Under the agreement, MOCCAE and EGF will exchange expertise, promote high-potential companies, and showcase innovative ventures contributing to the UAE's long-term climate and food security targets. EGF, established with AED1 billion in capital, invests in growth-stage companies tackling national challenges. Najla Al Midfa noted that the Fund offers more than capital, acting as a long-term partner to founders through strategic support, governance, and access to networks. 'By focusing on agri-tech and environmental innovation, we are investing in the building blocks of national resilience and self-sufficiency,' she said. The collaboration underscores the UAE's commitment to a sustainable, future-ready economy driven by innovation and strong public-private partnerships. News Source: Emirates News Agency
Al Etihad
21-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Emirates Growth Fund announces first investment in Tarmeem Healthcare Holding
21 May 2025 19:25 ABU DHABI (WAM)Emirates Growth Fund (EGF), the UAE's dedicated growth equity platform for scaling national SMEs backed by Emirates Development Bank (EDB), has announced its inaugural investment with a strategic minority stake in Tarmeem Healthcare Holding LTD, a rapidly growing healthcare provider transforming patient mobility and quality of announcement was made at Make it in the Emirates 2025, and aligns with the UAE's industrial strategy to accelerate the growth of national priority investment marks a strategic milestone for EGF, which was launched to back founder-led SMEs in sectors vital to the UAE's economic future, including Healthcare, Manufacturing, Food Security, Sustainability, and Advanced Healthcare Holding, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, owns Tarmeem Orthopedic and Spine Specialty Hospital LLC, in addition to Tarmeem Medical Centre LLC in Khalifa City A and Al Healthcare Holding entities currently serve more than 20,000 patients annually, and are on track to double its footprint over the next 18 integrated model provides diagnosis, management, and treatment for musculoskeletal conditions and injuries while offering premium, patient-centric services delivered by top-tier orthopaedic experts and cutting-edge on the transaction, Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Emirates Growth Fund, said, "This investment in Tarmeem Healthcare exemplifies the Emirates Growth Fund's mission to close the growth equity gap for UAE-based SMEs. Tarmeem represents the 'missing middle' often overlooked by traditional investors. It's not a startup but also not served by traditional SME funding platforms. Yet, they have great growth potential and by supporting companies with strong fundamentals and national relevance, we are advancing the UAE's long-term industrial and economic goals."Najla Al Midfa, Vice Chair & Managing Director of Emirates Growth Fund, commented, "We're proud to back Tarmeem as our first investment. They represent the next generation of UAE businesses. They are mission-driven and deeply attuned to the country's evolving needs. As the UAE invests in healthcare sovereignty and resilience, Tarmeem is well-positioned to lead and set new standards of excellence in specialized healthcare."Founded in 2019 by Dr. Ali Al Suwaidi, a fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon with more than two decades of international experience, Tarmeem was established to meet the growing regional demand for high-quality, specialised orthopedic and physiotherapy Al Suwaidi's leadership, shaped by prominent roles across major UAE healthcare institutions, anchors Tarmeem's clinical capital investment from EGF will accelerate Tarmeem's strategic expansion, increasing operational capacity and enabling the development for Tarmeem Orthopedic and Spine Specialty Hospital as well as the two state-of-the-art Medical Centres in Khalifa City A and Al hospital and the two new facilities aim to broaden access to expert musculoskeletal care while reinforcing Tarmeem's commitment to innovation and patient-centred Ali Suwaidi, Founder and CEO of Tarmeem, added, "This partnership with Emirates Growth Fund is about more than just capital. It's about purposeful growth. Their deep understanding of building enduring institutions, combined with strategic insight, provides us with a powerful platform to expand our reach and elevate the standard of orthopedic care across the UAE and beyond. Together, we're not just growing, we're shaping the future of specialised healthcare."As part of the investment, EGF will provide Tarmeem with strategic guidance in governance, growth strategy, and long-term institutionalisation, supporting the company's ambition to become a national leader in specialised healthcare UAE has made healthcare localisation a national priority, investing heavily in specialist services under Vision 2031. While significant progress has been made, opportunities remain to strengthen access to premium orthopaedic and physiotherapy care across the country. Tarmeem is directly addressing this gap, aligning with national efforts to build a resilient, world-class healthcare ecosystem.
The National
21-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Meet the woman with a Dh1 billion fund: A venture capitalist with a soul?
Meet Najla Al Midfa, the woman behind one of the biggest growth funds in the UAE, supporting the small and medium size enterprise (SME) sector. Every entrepreneur who, through sheer determination – blood, sweat, and tears, has grown their business to the cusp of profitability and maybe, even into the black, ought to meet her. It's profitable, it's growing, and it's yours. You don't want to give up control, but you need capital to take the next big step, is the message Ms Al Midfa, vice chairwoman and managing director of the Emirates Growth Fund, wants to send out to the SMEs out there seeking funding. Ms Al Midfa this week launched the Dh1 billion initiative designed to bridge the critical funding gap for SMEs. Her vision and target for EGF is clear. There is $2 billion in unrealised home-grown potential in the UAE and EGF wants to "unleash those ambitions". Asked if she was essentially a venture capitalist with a soul, Ms Al Midfa jokingly said: 'You can say that ... Private equity with a soul is a tag line that works.' But patience is the key mantra with this investor. Yes, they have returns to make but they have latitude, maybe up to seven years, she told The National at the Make it in the Emirates forum this week. EGF is built to fill the gap between early-stage venture capital and late-stage private equity. SMEs often fall into this middle ground – too mature for venture capitalists, but not quite the right fit for private equity. That's where EGF comes in. SMEs make up 94 per cent of the UAE's business landscape and employ more than 86 per cent of the private sector workforce. Yet, many still struggle to find the kind of capital needed to scale. EGF is here to change that. Ms Al Midfa and her team don't just look at numbers – they look for chemistry. They aim to build partnerships, offer patient capital, and support long-term growth. Think of it as smart money with a human touch. EGF is focused on five core sectors aligned with the UAE's Operation 300bn initiative: manufacturing, food security, health care, sustainability and advanced technology. The fund's goal is to support businesses that contribute to the UAE's GDP in a meaningful, ongoing way. Traditional venture capitalists seek quick exits – usually within three to five years. EGF, in contrast, is willing to wait seven to eight. They understand that real growth takes time. Exit options may include trade sales, secondary sales to larger private equity firms, IPOs – or even founders buying back their own companies once they've scaled. EGF is not chasing unicorns or moonshots. They're building a portfolio of quality businesses for the long haul.
The National
19-05-2025
- Business
- The National
New Dh1bn Emirates Growth Fund to take minority stakes to help small businesses expand
The new Dh1 billion ($272 million) Emirates Growth Fund launched in the UAE on Monday will take minority stakes in small businesses in the country as it seeks to bridge the financing gap faced by small and medium enterprises. The fund, backed by the Emirates Development Bank, will focus on businesses in advanced manufacturing, health care, food security and advanced technology, Najla Al Midfa, vice chair and managing director of the fund, said in a press conference on the sidelines of the Make it in the Emirates event on Monday. "EGF will be focusing on companies born and based here in the UAE, generating revenues of over Dh10 million," she said. "We will invest between Dh10 million and Dh50 million, taking active minority stakes, usually between 20 per cent and 40 per cent of the company, while leaving founders firmly in control, because we believe our role is to empower and not to control." Currently, SMEs account for 94 per cent of all registered companies in the UAE, employ more than 86 per cent of all private-sector jobs and also contribute more than 60 per cent to non-oil gross domestic product, according to Dr Ahmad Al Falasi, the UAE Minister of Sports, who will serve as EGF chairman. However, their share of funding is only 10 per cent, with a big gap of about $2 billion of funding, he said at the event. "Too many SMEs based in the UAE with strong fundamentals and big ambitions often hit a ceiling, not because they lack vision but because the funding landscape doesn't meet them where they are," Ms Al Midfa said. These companies may be in sectors not relevant to venture capital funds but they are also not yet large enough for traditional private equity. "They sit in what we call 'the missing middle'," she said. The fund will target such companies, with its first investment being in Abu Dhabi-based Tarmeem Orthopedic and Spine Specialty Hospital, Ms Al Midfa confirmed. The hospital, set up in 2019, treats more than 20,000 patients annually. "Unlike most funds, we don't have a fixed investment and divestment period," she said. "So we see ourselves as long-term partners with these companies. "Yes, eventually, we obviously would like to exit [those stakes] ... we do have commercial objectives in addition to the economic impact," she said. "However, we will only exit when the time is right for the company, and that may be seven years ... maybe 10 years. We're happy to wait as long as it takes for that company to have that stable foundation and to be ready for that exit." The exits are expected to be through a strategic acquisition or a stake sale rather than an initial public offering, given the size of the companies. "But what we are doing is putting in place fundamentals like governance, so that down the line if they do decide to IPO, it will at least help them build that foundation," Ms Al Midfa added.
