The British Business Group (BBG)announced on Monday the launch of two incubation centres for up to 50 small and medium sized businesses from the UK, in an effort to strengthen business ties between the UK and the UAE. The British Business Centre acts as a “very low cost, low hassle entry” for these businesses to the UAE market, Jonathon Davidson, chairman and CEO of the British Business Group told Gulf News on the sidelines of the conference. The centres, which will open in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, will allow businesses to incubate for 12 months, after that they can do business outside the area, like joining free zones, Davidson said. The Dubai centre is expected to open between March and April in 2014, while the one in Abu Dhabi is expected to open between October and November in the same year, he said. There will be “business matching” to introduce UK business to UAE entrepreneurs and companies to encourage ventures between them, he said. The businesses will operate in different sectors, including education, healthcare, and financial services, among others. The centres are part of the Lord Green initiative, which expects to open similar centres in 20 countries, according to Davidson. The British Business Centre is already being implemented, he said. The Dubai centre is expected to open at the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED). In addition, the British government is setting up business centres in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, he said.
