UAE-based Links Group, a leading provider of commercial facilitation and advisory services, has been given an ‘A’ rating by the SME RATE Framework.

An initiative of Dubai SME, the Framework is the first rating system for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) in the region and provides an independent assessment of their financial and non-financial performance.

The SME RATE Framework aims to stimulate the growth of the SME sector and highlight the pivotal role it plays in advancing and diversifying the UAE economy. In this way the initiative will help to achieve the goals set by the Dubai Plan 2021, in particular to increase SME GDP contribution to 45 per cent by 2021, up from its current 40 per cent.

The Dubai SME Rating Framework ranks companies based on five weighted criteria: business performance, both financial and operational; innovation; international expansion; corporate governance; and corporate social responsibility. The five achievable ratings are A+, A, A-, B+ and B and only apply to companies with a turnover of between Dh2 million and Dh200 million, and which typically employ between five and 200 staff.

Established in 2002, Links Group partners, protects and enables foreign companies to enter the UAE and Qatar markets while safeguarding their status as business owners. Combining business acumen with robust legal counsel, Links Group ensures its clients are protected at all times, and that they can build a business which they own and control. It is also the only company of its kind to be associated with the Foreign Investment Office (FDI) of the Dubai Economic Department.

John Martin St Valery, founder and CEO of Links Group said: “We are very proud to be recognised as an ‘A’ Rated company by Dubai SME. It’s a great validation of the systems, processes and governance we have put in place to make Links Group a financially sound, innovative, growth company.

“We deal with a lot of multinational and large cap companies so it gives them great confidence to know that our systems are robust and in line with both regional and international standards. But more than a badge of honour, the framework also helps us to understand areas where we can improve or develop.

“We look forward to further supporting the Dubai Government in its mission to have more growth-oriented, innovative, capable, and sustainable enterprises from the UAE.” – TradeArabia News Service