Qatar Development Bank (QDB) concluded on Wednesday the 10th edition of the Rowad Entrepreneurship Conference and the third Arab SMEs Summit 2024.
Held under the theme ‘Navigating Digital Horizons’, the latest edition attracted more than 5,000 visitors and participants from 22 Arab countries, in the largest event of its kind across the Arab world this year. The conference was designed to promote innovation and sustainable growth among startups and SMEs across the region.
The conference highlighted digital transformation as a fundamental pillar for advancing entrepreneurship and featured a diverse set of activities and programmes that brought together senior policymakers, entrepreneurs and investors to discuss digital transformation, green projects, and the regional expansion of startups.
The second day of the conference featured the sixth edition of the Investment Forum, which focused on enabling startups to tap quality investment opportunities and connect with prominent investors and experts who could propel their growth and expansion.
In his closing remarks, QDB CEO Abdulrahman Hesham al-Sowaidi, said: “Together we witnessed inspiring moments of creative collaboration and the potential to invest in our Arab development plans. We are proud to provide this important platform to hundreds of Arab entrepreneurs, and reaffirm our commitment to collaboration to ensure a prosperous future driven by growth in line with the region’s great ambitions.”
ESCWA under-secretary-general and executive secretary of Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Dr Rola Dashti and partners announced several commitments, including the building e-commerce platforms for 200 companies to enhance their access to new markets.
Dashti said, “The strength of SMEs lies in their ability to innovate, adapt, and transform challenges into opportunities. They are the pulse of our economies." She urged entrepreneurs to believe in themselves, as they are the key to building a prosperous and more inclusive future for the region.
The event featured an exhibition where more than 120 innovative startups showcased their solutions and modern technologies to a wide audience of investors and partners. The exhibition provided a unique opportunity to enhance co-operation and knowledge exchange among entrepreneurs and investors, paving the way for the rise of startups that serve Arab economies.
Over the course of three days, many entrepreneurs and guests participated in a series of site visits to Qatar Free Zones Authority, the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council, and Qatar Science and Technology Park.
The conference also featured 100 sessions and 35 workshops led by over 50 industry experts and speakers and attended by an audience of 1,400. Participants discussed agricultural technology, renewable energy, green transformation and the international expansion of companies among other related topics.
Discussions also touched on policies to empower startups and SMEs, giving the conference a strategic dimension in terms of the contribution of these companies to regional development plans. The conference hosted over 2,200 bilateral meetings and featured the signing of 20 Memoranda of Understanding.
The conference was backed by QDB’s strategic partners and sponsors, including QNB Group, Qatar Investment Authority, the Arab Gulf Programme for Development and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation among other partners who contributed to the success of the conference.
The event reflects QDB’s unwavering commitment to promoting innovation and sustainable growth, and its ongoing efforts to bolster Qatar’s entrepreneurship ecosystem through innovative partnerships and initiatives that contribute to Qatar National Vision 2030.
QDB CEO Abdulrahman Hesham al-Sowaidi.
