By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria and other countries have been promised attractive incentives if they register for the Emirates Business Rewards programme.
The airline operator said the reward is for new members and part of the benefits include a joining bonus of 10,000 Emirates Business Reward Points – the equivalent of one Economy Class return ticket between most destinations in the Middle East, Africa/WAIO and Dubai, a city that offers world-leading support programmes and infrastructure for entrepreneurs and SMEs.
The offering by Emirates aims to support MSMEs and recognise the integral part they play in sustainable development, and the global economy and communities.
The company came up with this initiative as part of activities to mark the United Nations (UN) MSMEs Day and amplify the vital role these enterprises play in post-pandemic recovery.
There are currently more than 30,000 small businesses participating in the Emirates Business Rewards programme, taking advantage of a wealth of benefits including easy enrolment, accessible earning and redemptions, and flexibility and upgrade opportunities – even on last-minute bookings.
With a goal of ‘making business travel seamless’, Emirates Business Rewards enables organisations to earn points on business travel, which can be spent on future flights and upgrades on any Emirates flight, in any class, subject to availability.
Organisations are eligible to earn points whenever their employees or guest travellers fly on Emirates, which can then be spent on dynamic reward flights and upgrades.
Individuals can also earn Skywards Miles on the same flight if they are Emirates Skywards members. There’s no limit to how many employees can join the programme and no minimum spend is needed. Emirates Business Rewards is free to join and can offer a significant return to budget-conscious MSMEs.
SMEs are believed to account for over 70 per cent of total employment and 50 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
