Attended by more than 250 small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) business leaders and industry stakeholders, the 10th annual Gulf Capital SME Awards ceremony was a moment to pause and recognise the remarkable achievements of the SME sector. 

Fourteen SMEs in particular had proven that, despite the challenges posed by a global pandemic, they had the necessary ingredients – namely, strong business principles, a focus on people and culture, and a commitment to innovation – to develop and grow a successful business in the region. 

Competitive categories

In addition to the over-all winners recognised across 18 categories, the ceremony also celebrated a further seven businesses as highly commended across categories including Customer Focus of the Year, Cigna People and Culture of the Year, and the Gulf Capital Business of the Year.

This 10th annual edition of the awards was one of the most competitive in recent years, gathering over 340 submissions from companies that represented a combined annual turnover in excess of $3bn.

Immensa, winner of the coveted Gulf Capital Business of the Year award, was recognised for its extremely strong business model and the way it has tapped into the very competitive oil and gas market.

Commenting on the accolades, Karim el-Solh, CEO of Gulf Capital, said: “It has been a remarkable journey over the past 10 years of supporting and recognising SMEs at the Gulf Capital SME Awards.

“Each year we see the remarkable ambition of these entrepreneurs who continue to serve as the backbone of the regional economy and push the boundaries of innovation, customer focus and economic growth. This year, we saw how these organisations overcame the challenges of a global pandemic by adopting agile business plans, focusing on their people and culture and customers’ needs. 

“This is a testament to the region’s resilience and I congratulate all of the winners for their remarkable achievement.”

MEED Group commercial director, Sonia Kerrigan, added: “This year’s winners are a reminder of why the SME community have quickly become the foundation of the region’s continued economic growth and development despite the pandemic. Their commitment, passion and drive are an inspiration.” 

The Gulf Capital SME Awards are supported by founding partner Gulf Capital, official health and wellbeing partner Cigna, official logistics partner FedEx Express, endorsing partners Dubai SME and Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, and association partners Dtec, in5, StartAD and TieDubai. 

The awards were also supported by VIP reception attendees eZone, Dupod, Hayawita, IQ Fulfilment and Land Sterling.

Top image: Gulf Capital CEO Karim el-Solh (left) and MEED editorial director Richard Thompson (right)