Khalifa Fund SME Funding Products
Khalifa Fund’s SME funding products are interest-free loans for qualifying Abu Dhabi SMEs — micro through expansion, with published tickets into the millions of dirhams and high project-cost coverage. Apply via Tamm / Khalifa Fund service pages. Evergreen product family, not a cohort. Nationality, SME definition, and sector rules are strict. This is development finance. A two-person foreign SaaS with an ADGM licence is often the wrong applicant. Read the scheme, not a LinkedIn thread.
DESK TAKE
Real money if you are the SME they wrote the law for. A waste of a week if you are hoping they became a VC.
SNAPSHOT
ELIGIBILITY
Interest-free government loans for Emirati-owned SMEs based in Abu Dhabi, applied for via TAMM. - Business owner must be an Emirati entrepreneur, aged 21–60 - Business must be based in the emirate of Abu Dhabi (incl. Western Region) - Sectors: Healthcare, Education, Agriculture, ICT, Tourism, Manufacturing, and innovative projects (Agri Tech Financing product for agri-tech solutions) - Existing businesses generally need 2+ years of operation (3 if funding a new branch); Microfinance Loan covers new entrepreneurs with project costs up to AED 1M - Application and registration run through the TAMM Abu Dhabi government services platform
QUESTIONS
Is this a grant?
It is typically a loan product. “Interest-free” is not “non-repayable.”
Can non-Emiratis apply?
Depends on the product. Their site is the source. Do not take a consultant’s word.