Though 90 per cent of Dubai registered companies are small and medium enterprises (SMEs), just 4% of all business loans goes to SMEs. In developed economies lending to SMEs goes well into the double digits.
Vikas Thapar, CEO, SME Business, Emirates NBD, offered this observation during a panel discussion at SME World 2014 in Dubai. Mr. Thapar went on to explain that banks are reluctant to provide loans to SMEs because of regulatory compliance restrictions and the lack of transparency in SME busi