Building Risk-Informed and Resilient SMEs in the Arab Region

Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of the Arab region's economies, accounting for more than 90% of registered businesses and generating between 50% and 70% of private-sector employment. Despite their significant contribution to economic growth, innovation and livelihoods, MSMEs remain highly vulnerable to disasters, climate change and other shocks that disrupt business operations, supply chains and local economies. As the region experiences increasingly frequent and severe earthquakes, floods, droughts, extreme heat, wildfires, sand and dust storms, alongside conflict, displacement and economic instability, strengthening business resilience has become essential for safeguarding economic development and advancing disaster risk reduction.

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Regional Office for the Arab States will organize the Executive Regional Workshop: Building Risk-Informed and Resilient SMEs in the Arab Region on 18–19 November 2026 in Baghdad, Iraq, on the margins of the Fourth Arab SMEs Summit. The in-person workshop will bring together representatives of governments, chambers of commerce and industry, SME development agencies, financial institutions, commercial banks, private-sector associations, ARISE National Networks, small and medium-sized enterprises, development partners, United Nations organizations, academia and research institutions. The event will provide a regional platform for strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors to promote business resilience across the Arab region.

The workshop will focus on strengthening understanding of disaster and climate risks affecting SMEs and promoting the integration of disaster risk reduction into SME development policies and programmes. Participants will be introduced to the principles of SME resilience and its contribution to sustainable economic development, while UNDRR will present internationally recognized tools including the Resilience Maturity Assessment (ReMA) and Business Continuity Planning (BCP). Regional experiences and emerging good practices will also be shared to demonstrate practical approaches for building resilient enterprises and maintaining business continuity during crises and disasters.

Discussions will explore how resilience can be integrated into SME policies, financing mechanisms and business-support services through stronger cooperation among governments, financial institutions, chambers of commerce, development partners and the private sector. Participants will examine opportunities to strengthen resilient supply chains, improve public-private partnerships and encourage greater investment in risk-informed business development. Particular emphasis will be placed on strengthening regional cooperation through ARISE and other private-sector networks while promoting practical approaches that can be adapted across different national contexts.

The workshop will also provide opportunities for participants to exchange regional experiences, identify collaborative initiatives and strengthen partnerships that support SME resilience at both national and regional levels. Through dialogue and technical exchange, participants will improve their understanding of disaster and climate risks, become familiar with resilience assessment and business continuity planning tools, and identify opportunities for future regional collaboration involving governments, financial institutions, development partners and private-sector networks.

Through technical presentations, knowledge exchange and multi-stakeholder dialogue, the workshop will promote the development of risk-informed enterprises and resilient supply chains across the Arab region. By strengthening collaboration between governments, financial institutions, chambers of commerce, development partners and the private sector, the event will contribute to advancing implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, supporting the Sustainable Development Goals, and strengthening the role of ARISE – the Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies in promoting resilient and sustainable economic development throughout the Arab States.