Muscat: Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC), in collaboration with the Embassy of the Netherlands in Muscat, announced the results of an empirical research on the SMEs the Sultanate and opportunities in tourism.
The event was hosted by Ziyad Muhammad al Zubair, Board’s member of the Zubair Corporation, and attended by Laetitia van Asch, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Sultanate, and owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs.
The research project was commissioned by the Embassy and is a collaboration between the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE), Get In The Ring Foundation (GITR), and Zubair SEC.
The study is an attempt to establish a deeper understanding of the SME ecosystem in general and the tourism sector in particular while shedding light on opportunities open to SMEs in this vital sector and how to best seize them. Speaking on the occasion, Al Zubair said, “Since the establishment of Zubair Small Enterprises Centre, we have been very keen at the Zubair Corporation to apply both practical experience, knowledge and best practices in designing and developing the services offered by the Centre. Towards that end, collaboration has always been key.
Zubair SEC adopts partnership and cooperation with public and private sector institutions as key elements when extending best services to SMEs in the Sultanate and widening the scope and reach of such services through mutual collaboration”.
The project examined the support environment for small and medium enterprises in the Sultanate and essential requirements for the development of this important sector.
The research also focused on the tourism sector and the available opportunities, and proposed practical tools to assist entrepreneurs in order for them to benefit from such opportunities”.
Laetitia van Asch, Dutch Ambassador to the Sultanate commented, “The tourism sector in the Sultanate, including SMEs, has huge potential. This report translates this potential in understanding SMEs in the tourism sector and underlying business opportunities.
It offers practical tools and models for further development of the SME Support Ecosystem.
I am convinced that SMEs will benefit from its knowledge and experience”.
The report sets the research findings in the context of wider theory and international research relating to SME ecosystems and tourism development.
The research provides tools and frameworks that help SMEs identify business opportunities in tourism and even in other sectors.
The research launch event was followed the next day by a full day workshop conducted by prominent instructors from the Netherlands.
They provided knowledge and tools to SMEs and key stakeholders in the SME ecosystem on how to identify business opportunities in tourism and on how to progress from ideation, coming up with an idea to implementation. — ONA
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