Date: November 24, 2020
Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC) represented by senior advisors and four members, participated in the third GCC Business Incubators and Accelerators Conference held virtually. The third edition of the conference was held online due to the COVID-19 related travel restrictions.
The theme for this year’s conference was “SMEs’ Ecosystem challenges and opportunities alongside the pandemic”. Bahrain SMEs Development Society organised the conference to highlight the current situation for SMEs. Four Zubair SEC members shared and discussed their learnings and experiences in Oman with other participants from all over GCC.
Abdul Aziz Saleh Ahmed Al Mawali, founder of Smartech Solutions, Mansoor Nasser Al Rahbi, owner of Abraj Al Zahira (AZ Medcare), Ali Said Abdullah Al Rashdi, owner of Muaawana and
Zahra Mohammed Saif Ambu Saidi, founder of Shiyaka Photography are the members who participated in the conference. All these members are part of the Zubair SEC’s flagship Direct Support Programme (DSP). They shared their experiences and journey through the pandemic, with fellow entrepreneurs from the GCC.
Business incubators, accelerators, and young entrepreneurs from across the GCC including Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain plus Egypt as a guest country, participated and presented their experiences at the conference.
The annual conference was an ideal platform to learn and exchange ideas, skills, updates and find solutions to overcome common challenges in the region. The conference was especially significant since all SMEs share the same market conditions, difficulties, and opportunities.
Ali Shaker, Advisor, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, Zubair SEC who represented the centre at the conference said, “We were happy to be invited to participate in this important conference. We are pleased to have been the only support entity representing Oman in this GCC conference, and that confirms the trust, reputation, and appreciation that Zubair SEC enjoys. It also acknowledges the contribution of the centre to Oman’s entrepreneurship’s ecosystem development. I hope all participants have taken valuable lessons and experiences from each other. As a centre, it was a great opportunity for us to learn from other support initiatives in the region, especially regarding their responses in to the challenging situation that COVID-19 posed.”
In 2018, Zubair SEC and Bahrain Small and Medium Enterprises Development Society signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed to jointly explore entrepreneurship development in the two countries and support cooperation between Omani and Bahraini SMEs.
Zubair SEC had participated in the first and second editions of the conference previously. Last year, Zubair SEC along with its advisors and three members had participated in the GCC Business Incubators and Accelerators Conference. Zubair SEC was extended a special invitation by the Bahraini conference organisers in recognition of the support the centre has been rendering to the development of the SME sector in Oman. Participating in the conference was an opportunity to share expertise and insight on the various entrepreneurial journeys. Zubair SEC, a social responsibility initiative of Z-Corp, continues building solid business grounds and facilitating business development opportunities for all its members. Through Zubair SEC, its members have been getting better access to knowledge, innovation and understanding of the market.