Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, has appointed Ahmad Mohammed Salem AlRoom AlMeheiri as Chief Executive Officer of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development, widely known as Dubai SME, via Executive Council Resolution No. (19) of 2026 (per Dubai Media Office).
From acting CEO to confirmed leader
AlMeheiri had been serving as Acting CEO of Dubai SME prior to the formal appointment, and is now confirmed in the permanent role. The resolution takes effect immediately and was issued in his capacity as Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai (per Emirates 24|7).
What Dubai SME does
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development is the Dubai government's primary vehicle for supporting Emirati entrepreneurs and small businesses. It runs financing programmes, capability-building tracks, and a network of partnerships that connect SMEs with government procurement and private-sector buyers. In 2026 alone, the agency has signed agreements with Dubai Land Department on real-estate sector access, launched a youth entrepreneurship platform called Majlis Al Mustaqbal, and rolled out the GameForward accelerator for Emirati game developers (per Dubai Media Office).
Strategic timing
The leadership change comes as Dubai pushes a two-year plan to expand private-sector contribution to the economy, with SMEs explicitly named as a growth pillar. AlMeheiri inherits a portfolio that includes the Hamdan Innovation Incubator, the Intilaq programme for Emirati business owners, and a growing role in routing Dubai SMEs into the emirate's real-estate, F&B and digital sectors (per Gulf Business).
Background
AlMeheiri brings prior experience inside Dubai SME, having stepped up to acting CEO before the resolution. His confirmed appointment continues a 2026 pattern in which Sheikh Hamdan has formalised leadership changes across multiple Dubai government entities through Executive Council resolutions.
What to watch
The immediate questions for Dubai's SME community are whether AlMeheiri will reset or extend existing partnership programmes, how the agency plans to scale financing access, and what role it will play in the broader two-year plan to reshape the emirate's private sector.
