Qatar Chamber First SMEs Conference to Be Held Next Tuesday

Doha, March 04 (QNA) - Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) will host next Tuesday its first conference for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), with the aim to promote entrepreneurship and to stimulate services for SMEs. "As part of our mission to empower SMEs, we are planning to host an annual conference in Doha with the aim to promote entrepreneurship, to stimulate services for SMEs, to support diversification and to create employment opportunities for the national work force," HE Chairman of QCCI and ICC Qatar Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Thani said in a press release today. The 1st Qatar Chamber SMEs Conference is jointly organized by Qatar Chamber, Qatar Stock Exchange (QE), ICC Qatar and German Emirati Joint Council for Industry & Commerce (AHK). The event is sponsored by Qatar Development Bank (QDB), which is also Strategic Partner and Qatar National Bank (QNB). The main aim of the conference is to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools and knowledge they need by linking them with relevant organizations. "The backbone of German's economy is its highly innovative small and medium-sized enterprises sector and we believe this conference represents an opportunity to share best practice and to enable local SMEs to compete for the business opportunities Qatar has to offer by connecting them with key stakeholders" noted Director General of QCCI and Secretary General of ICC Qatar Remy Rowhani. Sigmar Gabriel, Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Economy and Energy of the Federal Republic of Germany, will join the event with a delegation of over 120 German business leaders. CEO of Qatar Stock Exchange Rashid Bin Ali Al Mansoori said that QSE has developed QE Venture Market with the objective of supporting the growth of SMEs and positioning Qatar Stock Exchange at the centre of the government's ongoing support for this important sector. "QE Venture Market is designed with smaller companies in mind with a more flexible disclosure and corporate governance regime. The characteristics of the market reflect the objectives of allowing SMEs to list and raise capital more easily and cheaply and with less stringent requirements than would be the case on the Main Market whilst also retaining the trust of the investor base through a structured regulatory framework", he added. CEO of QDB Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa said: "QDB plays a pivotal role in supporting the growing SME ecosystem in Qatar. Our tireless efforts in this field include the provision of top notch consultation services, feasibility studies, advisory services, the sought-after SME toolkit, workshops, market research and much more not the least of which is the recent launch of the region’s largest mixed-use business incubator." QNB representative, Yousef AL Neama, GM of Group Corporate and Institution Banking said: "As the largest bank in Qatar and One of the World’s Strongest Banks, QNB is pleased to sponsor this SME conference, which bears in mind the welfare of our dear State of Qatar. "The "German Mittelstand" is considered as a major component of Germanys economy as it plays a dynamic role in quickly responding to the target market and customers. This flexibility to change and adaptation to market trends reduces future crisis and builds on a strong economy, thus allowing it to become a significant economic pillar. Highly active in the industrial sector and a powerful supplier of capital goods in new markets all around the world, the "German Mittelstand" can also be a strong partner for Qatar in the diversification of its economy." Dr. Peter Goepfrich, CEO of AHK added. (QNA)