Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) launched the first event of its Growth Series 2026 with a practical, hands-on session designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises improve profitability by addressing one of their most common challenges: underpricing. Titled From Price Competition to Value Leadership: Pricing for Profit, Not Survival, the session equipped business owners with clear tools to price more confidently, protect margins, and move away from unsustainable discount-driven growth.

Experts at the Growth Series interactive panel

The opening event reflected RAKEZ’s focus on delivering knowledge that businesses can apply immediately to their day-to-day operations. Discussions centred on why SMEs often underprice their offerings, how pricing decisions influence customer perception and buying behaviour, and how businesses can reposition their value to compete on more than price alone. The session also explored practical ways to strengthen margins while maintaining market relevance and customer trust.

Commenting on the importance of the topic, Ramy Jallad, RAKEZ Group CEO said, “Sustainable growth starts with getting the fundamentals right. By opening the 2026 Growth Series with a focus on pricing, we are addressing a core challenge that directly impacts resilience, competitiveness, and long-term business performance.”

The session featured a keynote by Codin Caragea, Founder and CEO of Experience Edge, who shared actionable frameworks to help businesses transition from price-based competition to value-led pricing. His insights focused on improving clarity around value propositions, aligning pricing with execution capabilities, and reducing cost-to-serve pressures, all with the aim of improving profitability without relying on discounts.

An interactive panel discussion followed, bringing together Sindhu Sreenath, Managing Director at QuestionPro EMEA, and Suvo Sundar Chatterjee, Director of Business Excellence, Strategy & Planning at RAKEZ. The discussion addressed real pricing challenges faced by growing businesses, highlighting how customer data, insights, and informed decision-making can help companies price with greater confidence and move away from reactive discounting.

Participants left the session with practical takeaways on refining their market positioning, applying pricing psychology, and adopting value-driven pricing approaches that support healthier margins and more sustainable growth.

The Growth Series 2026 will continue with upcoming sessions focused on cash flow management, financial visibility, and building scalable partnerships, reinforcing RAKEZ’s role as a knowledge-driven platform supporting businesses throughout their growth journey.