MUDHI ALOBTHANI AND SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
At this year’s Make it in the Emirates, the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development has brought forward SME success stories that show how Emirati ideas are becoming innovation-driven ventures.
From early-stage startups to emerging manufacturers, the projects on display highlight a changing landscape: local entrepreneurs are stepping into more advanced sectors, with next-gen technology increasingly woven into their operations.
Zayed Al Khzaimi, Acting Head of the Counselling Section at Khalifa Fund, said that by spotlighting these ventures, the fund underscores SMEs’ vital role as one of the country’s main job creators, while also supporting the UAE’s industrial development.
“There are 17 Emirati companies supported by the Khalifa Fund and they are always part of our participation in any exhibition,” Al Khzaimi told Aletihad. “We give them the space and opportunity to participate to display their products, communicate, network, and secure new contracts.”
For these entrepreneurs, the journey starts with an idea and grows through support. With access to funding, mentorship, and markets, Khalifa Fund beneficiaries see their concepts transform into scalable businesses — proof that behind an SME success story is a founder given the chance to build.
Among them is FixPro Manufacturing, an Abu Dhabi-based industrial technology company developing advanced vacuum-based pumping systems for high-viscosity and sediment-heavy applications.
Ganesh Suba, Sales Officer at FixPro Manufacturing, said the company identified a gap in the market for equipment capable of handling slurries, oil mixed with sediments and other difficult industrial materials.
“We did a market survey and found that many conventional pumps find it difficult to handle these applications, so we developed a new vacuum-based technology and designed it locally here in Abu Dhabi,” he said.
The company’s Vac-In 6D system can operate at depths of up to 50m and was successfully deployed during flood response efforts earlier this year. Suba credited Khalifa Fund for supporting the company through technical mentorship and exhibition opportunities.
“We are very honoured by the support of Khalifa Fund for guiding us, mentoring us and giving us a platform to exhibit our technology,” he said.
In manufacturing, Grand Aqua Pure has used Khalifa Fund support to scale its bottled water and plastics production business from its Musaffah facility.
Zaied Al Hajeri, Owner of Grand Aqua Pure, said the fund helped the company both financially and commercially by facilitating access to major clients and business opportunities.
“[This support] contributed greatly to the development of our factory,” he said.
The company is now exploring expansion into new consumer-focused production lines as part of its next growth phase.
In the consumer goods sector, NEXBA Healthcare is building a UAE-made organic personal care brand through its Mix Herbal Care line.
Noura Al Mreikhi, Chairwoman of NEXBA Healthcare, said the company manufactures organic personal care products in the UAE using advanced active nano-technology and has established a production line in Musaffah.
“We are an Emirati company producing UAE-made personal care products that focus on organic, pure formulations without harmful chemicals,” she said.
Al Mreikhi, a Khalifa Fund member for nearly seven years, said the fund provided all-out support — from financing to retail onboarding and market-entry assistance.
“Their support has enabled us to expand our presence in the market and become more widely recognised,” she said.
Meanwhile, beverage startup Karkna has rapidly expanded since launching in 2025, growing distribution to more than 100 supermarkets and grocery stores in under a year.
Sultan Alseiari, Owner of Karkna, said the brand was transformed from concept to commercial product in less than six months through Khalifa Fund’s guidance and connections.
Manufactured entirely in the UAE, Karkna is positioning itself as a proudly Emirati-made beverage product as it expands nationwide.
In the agri-food sector, Liwa Dates has grown from a date packaging operation into a diversified producer of date-derived products.
Khaled Almazrouei, Executive Director of Liwa Dates, said the company now offers nearly 1,000 products derived from dates after launching in 2015.
“Khalifa Fund provided us with support in product design, market access and reaching wider retail and cooperative channels,” he said.
Through a combination of funding, strategic guidance, technical mentoring and market-access facilitation, Khalifa Fund continues to serve as a catalyst for the UAE’s next generation of homegrown enterprises — helping transform ambitious ideas into businesses that support industrial development, local manufacturing and long-term economic resilience.