Doha, Beirut- 23 July 2024: As an endeavour to further support and promote small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Qatar and the Arab region, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) on hosting the third Arab SMEs Summit. The regional event will be held in partnership with "Rowad Entrepreneurship Conference 2024", under the slogan "Navigating Digital Horizons", from 17 to 19 November at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC).
The Arab SMEs Summit is an important interactive space for women and men entrepreneurs from the Arab region. The first two editions hosted more than 2,000 participants , including representatives from regional and international organizations, entities specialized in entrepreneurship and sustainable development, entrepreneurs, investors, and media. Participants discover the most important business models in Arab markets and success stories, and explore prospects for joint work. The Summit is also a platform for providing investment opportunities and improving communication between policymakers and experts at the regional level.
"Our partnership with ESCWA reflects the Bank's commitment to joint pioneering work and cooperation to serve the interests of our national economy and support entrepreneurship in Qatar," said QDB Chief Executive Officer Abdulrahman Hesham Al Sowaidi.
"We are proud that Doha is hosting the third Arab SMEs Summit, following in the footsteps of Amman and Marrakesh, hosts of the previous two editions. We are also pleased to merge the Summit with the 10th edition of Rowad Entrepreneurship Conference 2024, making this year's edition the largest to date. We believe in the importance of such events to boost Arab economies and help entrepreneurs, and we are always available to support and develop SMEs to ensure the prosperity of the national economy and the sustainability of its resources," he added.
About 1,300 participants from across the region and sectors are expected to take part in the Summit, to be source of inspiration and motivation at the regional level. Sessions will involve decision makers and policymakers who will discuss empowering SMEs and improving the entrepreneurship environment in the Arab region to support sustainable development. Discussions will also focus on opportunities and challenges imposed by the digital era, including digital business transformation, technological innovation, and regional cooperation to strengthen the digital economy.
"We are happy with this new partnership with QDB, one of the leading Arab entities supporting women entrepreneurs and SMEs, and we trust that this will open new horizons for advancing entrepreneurship in the region," ESCWA Executive Secretary Rola Dashti said. "We look forward to working together to enhance innovation, create job opportunities, and stimulate inclusive economic growth," she added.
"The Arab SMEs Summit gathers an elite group of innovators, entrepreneurs, SMEs, policymakers and leaders from various sectors in the Arab countries. We consider the merging of the Summit with Rowad as an exceptional opportunity to convene an unprecedented event in terms of organization and number of participants and investors in the Arab entrepreneurship sector," Dashti underscored.
This new partnership aims to provide the necessary support to SMEs by facilitating access to financing, knowledge and capacity-building, with a focus on innovation and sustainability.
