Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of Qatar Development Bank, H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari yesterday inaugurated the first ever virtual edition of the Qatar Entrepreneurship Conference 2020 (Rowad Qatar 2020) which is being held until Thursday.
The event is being held under the patronage of the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani.
The leading national initiative celebrating entrepreneurship in Qatar was organised by QDB as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) movement. Every year, the global event sets in motion a series of entrepreneurship-focused activities and events in more than 180 countries. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the virtual event, Minister Al Kuwari said that the conference presents entrepreneurs with a unique platform to enhance their participation in building the future of Qatar’s economy.
In his speech, the Minister reiterated the government’s efforts to advance the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the country. He also referred to the State’s COVID-19 national response measures and the achievements made in the field of entrepreneurship, led by the MoCI and QDB, including the launch of the National Guarantee Program upon the directives of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as part of the government’s QR75bn support package to the private sector.
The Minister also stressed that the Qatari government continues its efforts in removing all obstacles hindering market players in the private sector, which he said includes supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem during the recovery phase and steering its focus towards priority sectors that rely on technology and RDI as the national economy’s main drivers towards achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030.
He added that MoCI’s keenness to boost cooperation and joint coordination with various relevant government agencies aims to facilitate and expedite procedures for granting approvals and licenses necessary for setting up businesses as well as providing access to these services through digital single-window platform.
The Minister added that the Ministry has also launched the ‘Land and Industrial Loan’ initiative in collaboration with QBD to help investors obtain licenses and industrial plots in the manufacturing-SMEs space and complete the financing procedures using the same application submitted for acquiring the plot, in a step aimed at encouraging investors to contribute to the country’s progress, self-sufficiency, and economic diversification.
Minister Al Kuwari went on to reiterate the country’s achievements in the global scene, reiterating that Qatar ranked first in the MENA region and third globally according to GEM report last year.
Held under the theme ‘Business Sustainability: my impact on my economy and my country’, this year’s conference features panel discussion sessions and workshops, as well as a number of distinguished training courses that address key topics in various fields related to entrepreneurship in Qatar and the world.
During the event, winners of the Al Fikra Competition were also honoured and recognised for their achievements in the country’s business sector.
This year’s Rowad Qatar is supported by the Qatar Investment Authority as the conference’s strategic sponsor, Qatar National Bank and the National Tourism Council as platinum sponsors, Ooredoo as the gold sponsor, and Qatar Chamber as the honorary sponsor, in addition to a number of national partners representing various sectors and industries.
The conference seeks to recognise distinguished business leaders and introduce them to the public through the Qatar Entrepreneurship Conference platform, which helps enrich the entrepreneurial community in Qatar and further enhance Qatar’s position as a leader in this area at the regional and international levels.
During the event, GEN representatives also lauded QDB’s efforts in establishing the first virtual edition of the conference, which not only makes the event more accessible and enhances its global reach, but also on business sustainability and digital transformation.
