Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, announced the successful completion of season two of EGA Ramp-Up, the company’s programme to support the UAE’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and promising local business.

The programme was launched in 2022 under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Economy. EGA Ramp-Up provides practical guidance and training to UAE-based entrepreneurs developing promising businesses that will grow the economy and create new job opportunity.

Season two concluded with an investor pitch day held at EGA’s headquarters in Al Taweelah in the presence of Her Excellency Alia bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, and Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium.

EGA delivers the programme in partnership with C3, a UAE-based social enterprise that supports entrepreneurs across the region to unlock their growth potential and maximise their positive impact on the community and the environment.
Hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs took part of EGA Ramp-Up season two. This year’s cohort included 43 per cent women-led and 29 local businesses.

The participants engaged in a series of intensive online courses on effective entrepreneurship. Following the evaluation process, 10 shortlisted entrepreneurs received tailored mentoring and coaching by EGA and C3 mentors on funding and finance fundamentals, business strategy, and sustainability. The finalists included Amp, AR Engineering, BaseTracK, Falcon Robotics, Seramic Materials, StrategyConnect, Takalam, Tenderd, The Surpluss, and TranspRight.

The judging panel selected The Surpluss in first place, Amp, and AR Engineering in second and third place respectively at the investor pitch day.

H.E. Alia bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, said: The UAE has always recognised the key role of the private sector and entrepreneurship in driving economic growth, employment creation and sustainable innovation. Today, SMEs account for 95 per cent of the total private sector companies operating in the country, accounting for 86 per cent of private sector employment. As we strive to accelerate the transition to a knowledge economy built on an advanced innovation ecosystem fuelled by collective collaboration, we see this partnership with EGA as a perfect match. The Ministry of Economy remains committed to fostering such collaborations in order to establish the UAE’s position as a true entrepreneurial nation by 2031.”

Her Excellency continued: “The first and second editions of the Ramp-Up programme witnessed strong participation from Emirati entrepreneurs exceeding the total of 124, which reflects the importance of the programme in supporting national entrepreneurship and creating new opportunities for Emirati entrepreneurs. The second edition of the programme contributed particularly to encouraging Emirati women entrepreneurs to establish businesses and launch pioneering projects as they constituted 43% of total number of participants. It provided them an ideal platform to exchange latest experiences and practices in the sector and learn from each other.”

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “We are proud to support the UAE’s ambition to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, which is vital for our nation’s economic diversification and sustainable development. EGA Ramp-Up is a platform that empowers local entrepreneurs to scale-up impactful solutions that can create value for the society and the environment. I congratulate the graduates of season two and look forward to seeing their businesses grow and thrive in the UAE and beyond.”

Kevin Holliday, Managing Director of C3 – Companies Creating Change, shared his excitement about the program’s continued success: “The success of our inaugural season laid a solid foundation, and this year, we have built on that momentum to continue fostering the growth of innovative UAE-based startups. The achievements of the second EGA Ramp-Up reflects the powerful synergy and unwavering commitment between EGA and the UAE entrepreneurial ecosystem. We are thrilled to support these startups and are confident in their ability to make significant contributions to the UAE’s economic and social progress.”

EGA worked with Autodesk, a leading design and make software provider, to provide training services from technology experts and software grants for eligible startups participating in season two of the programme.
EGA considers EGA Ramp-Up participants’ potential as suppliers to further increase local procurement and support the growth of promising local businesses.

EGA is launching pilot projects with some of the programme finalists to further increase local procurement and support the growth of promising local businesses.

In January 2024, EGA partnered with EGA Ramp-Up 2023 finalist Nadeera to launch an innovative recycling solution in communities near the company’s Jebel Ali plant.

EGA Ramp-Up season three will launch in Q1 2025.

For more information about the EGA Ramp-Up Programme, please visit www.ega.ae/en/ramp-up.