UK Academy Study Reveals Positive Sentiment Towards UAE and KSA Entrepreneurs

iUK Academy anticipates a 50% increase in enrolment in the from the GCC market in the coming months

In Spring 2022, the iUK Academy will be touring several top-tier universities in Dubai with its Entrepreneur Experience roadshow, together with a series of webinars

InvestUK (iUK),a specialist business consultancy connecting foreign entrepreneurs and investors with business and investment opportunities in the United Kingdom,today announced the results of its recent study conducted with YouGov. The survey polled adults over the age of 18, based in Great Britain, to examine public sentiment towards, and the degree of awareness regarding entrepreneurs from UAE and KSA. With 31% of residents in support, the survey revealed a positive sentiment among UK citizens towards a policy that grants residence status to international entrepreneurs who set up a successful business in the UK. As it pertains to the GCC, further findings indicated that 12% of the participants viewed entrepreneurs from the UAE and KSA as hardworking, 13 as educated, 5%as family-oriented, 2% as honest, and 6% as well-intentioned. Moreover,45% of all participants, of those who submitted an opinion on the matter, believed entrepreneurs from the UAE and KSA would benefit the wider UK economy.

While the survey indicated a positive sentiment, it also highlighted a lack of knowledge on the skill and qualifications of entrepreneurs from the UAE and KSA in the UK, with 47% of all participants unsure of the overall impact of such inward investment. This highlights the importance of InvestUK’s initiatives and the specific work of the iUK Academy to support entrepreneurial talent from the region.

As an approved IOEE Enterprise Academy, iUK Academy is dedicated to providing world-class education and training to entrepreneurs from around the world seeking to transform innovative ideas into viable and scalable businesses in the UK. Through the launch of its innovative Entrepreneur Experience program in the GCC, iUK Academy aims to eliminate any lingering uncertainty by attracting ambitious entrepreneurs from the Middle East and equipping them with the essential knowledge and skills to establish innovative, viable and scalable businesses in the UK.

This spring, the iUK Academy will host a series of webinars and roadshow at several of the UAE’s premier educational institutions, including Zayed University, INSEAD and Heriot-Watt. The campaign will aid in iUK Academy’s efforts of raising awareness around their unique programs, specifically their ‘Entrepreneur Experience’ program, which teaches highly practical business skills and key information required to successfully launch businesses in the UK.

Rupert Gather, Chairman of InvestUK and iUK Academy,said “At this precise moment, strong relations between the UAE, KSA, and the UK has never been more important. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit to Dubai to attend the history-making event of Expo 2020, and his recent meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh, to establish a strategic partnership council reinforces the importance of developing robust bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Having said that, it all starts with education, exchanging ideas, and continuously finding ways to innovate – which is something the iUK Academy is adamant on ensuring. However, as a result of the recent visits by the UK's prime minister, we have already seen a significant increase in interest in our Entrepreneur Experience Program from GCC graduates and anticipate a 50% increase in enrolment from the GCC in the coming months.”

According to fundsquire, Britain’s start-up scene has grown exponentially over recent years with 672,890 new companies having been founded as of 2022. The Entrepreneurship Experience looks to further contribute to this development as it offers international final-year students or graduates with an ideal path to setting up innovative businesses under either its Start-up or Innovator visa programmes.

Rupert Gatheradded;“Entrepreneurs are vital to market economies as their ability to serve as wheels of economic growth offers vast potential for any country looking to accelerate its development. Since InvestUK’s establishment in 2013, hundreds of highly skilled individuals have successfully achieved their objectives in the UK and the British economy has equally benefitted in return. With Dubai having established itself as a prominent business hub and destination for emerging talent, the iUK Academy views the UAE as a primary target market, and we believe partnering with the country’s local education institutes will be of mutual benefit for the multiple parties involved.”