Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), the UAE’s Federal export credit company, reinforced its commitment to boosting the UAE’s global trade competitiveness and supporting the expansion of SMEs and startups at the ‘EDB Connect’– Sharjah Edition.
Held at the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, the forum brought together key public and private sector stakeholders under the theme ‘Empowering Sharjah’s Economy Through SMEs and Entrepreneurship.’ Organized by Emirates Development Bank (EDB), in collaboration with the “Make It in the Emirates” initiative led by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), the event focused on enabling sustainable economic growth through industrial development, innovation, and strategic partnerships.
Mohammad Sulaiman, Director of Governance, Risk, and Compliance at ECI, represented the company in a panel session, titled ‘Financing Growth and De-Risking Expansion: How Founders Can Compete Globally from the UAE’, which addressed how UAE-based founders and early-stage businesses can leverage financial tools to reduce risk, unlock new markets, and scale operations internationally.
The discussion highlighted ECI’s tailored support for startups and SMEs across sectors such as clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and industrial services. The discussion centred around the accessibility of credit insurance solutions, particularly for asset-light businesses and first-time exporters.
Several flexible mechanisms designed to support early-stage exporters were outlined, including invoice insurance, supply chain finance, and export factoring. ECI’s approach prioritizes the creditworthiness of the buyer as a key factor, making credit protection more accessible to smaller businesses and new market entrants. Simplified documentation, lower premium thresholds, and digital onboarding solutions were also highlighted as part of ECI’s SME-focused offering.
The session further shed light on the Xport Xponential program, a flagship initiative specifically designed to support early-stage exporters through training, credit protection, and facilitated access to global markets. Since its launch, the program has supported 10 SMEs based on rigorous evaluation criteria, targeting expansion into four key markets: Indonesia, India, Saudi Arabia, and Oman, with total potential export opportunities amounting to AED 31.3 billion over the next four years. Implemented in collaboration with 19 strategic partners, the program has also contributed to unlocking AED 174 million in working capital financing to support SME growth.
As part of the forum, ECI was presented with a commemorative award in recognition of its strategic partnership with EDB and its contributions to enabling UAE-based companies to expand confidently in regional and global markets.
