Noon Food partnership with Mohammed bin Rashid SME arm to boost Emirati food businesses
Mohammed bin Rashid SME Development and Noon Food sign a strategic agreement to support Emirati-owned food SMEs with waived fees, preferential commissions and marketing investment.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development has signed a strategic partnership with the digital marketplace Noon Food to accelerate the growth of Emirati-owned small and medium enterprises in the food sector. This Noon Food partnership will give eligible members streamlined access to the platform, zero onboarding fees and a five-year preferential commission structure designed to improve competitiveness in the online market. The agreement formalises joint commitments on marketing spend, seller support and operational oversight to help local food brands scale digitally.
Commission structure and fee relief
Noon Food will waive all onboarding fees for participating members nominated by the Mohammed bin Rashid SME Development, removing a common barrier to market entry for smaller operators. The pact establishes a tiered commission schedule that begins at 10 percent in the first year and gradually increases to 20 percent by the fifth year, offering a predictable cost pathway for merchants. This phased approach aims to improve margins during the critical early stages of online trading while aligning incentives for longer-term platform participation.
Marketing investment and promotional visibility
Under the agreement, Noon Food has committed substantial marketing resources to promote participating Emirati food brands, including dedicated advertising credit and premium placement during major seasonal campaigns. These promotional investments will be coordinated to maximise visibility during high-traffic periods and to create recurring opportunities for sales growth. The marketing support is intended to complement organic growth with paid campaigns that raise brand awareness across Noon’s user base.
Seller onboarding, technical support and account management
Participating companies will receive hands-on technical support at registration, operational guidance and a dedicated account management service to streamline listing, pricing and fulfillment processes. Noon Food will also provide monthly performance reports so sellers can track sales, conversion rates and campaign effectiveness across the platform. This combination of practical support and regular data reporting is designed to close capability gaps and help brand owners make informed commercial decisions.
Selection process and implementation oversight by MBR SME Development
The Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development will identify and nominate eligible Emirati-owned food enterprises to join the initiative, leveraging its network to reach early-stage and growth-stage companies. The institution will also lead promotional outreach among its members and monitor implementation to ensure that the intended beneficiaries capture the partnership’s advantages. This oversight role seeks to maintain transparency in selection and to ensure operational alignment between the platform and local entrepreneurs.
Officials frame the partnership within Dubai’s economic agenda
Senior representatives framed the agreement as a targeted measure to strengthen local supply chains and support Dubai’s wider economic objectives. Ahmed Al Rom Al Muhairi, acting chief executive of the Mohammed bin Rashid SME Development, described the partnership as a way to combine institutional backing with digital reach to help Emirati food entrepreneurs scale sustainably. Faraz Khalid, Chief Executive of Noon Group, said the collaboration will provide the digital infrastructure and localised support needed for homegrown brands to expand rapidly and contribute to Dubai’s D33 economic agenda.
The Noon Food partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid SME Development seeks to lower market entry costs, provide commercial and technical support, and amplify promotional reach for Emirati-owned food businesses. By aligning preferential commission policies with substantial marketing investment and hands-on seller services, the agreement aims to foster a more competitive and digitally enabled food sector. If effectively implemented, the initiative could become a model for public-private efforts to accelerate SME growth in the UAE’s expanding e‑commerce ecosystem.
