The fifth Arab Entrepreneurs Forum is opening in Salalah on Wednesday under the theme of ‘Investment and renewable energy’. Being part of the Salalah Tourism Festival (STF), the event’s focus is to create positive atmosphere for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The three-day event is being organised by the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Riyada) with participation from a large number of successful entrepreneurs and
financial and renewable energy experts from the GCC and other Arab countries.
The event will open under the auspices of Shaikh Khalid bin Omar al Marhoon, Minister of Civil Service, at Millennium Resort Salalah. Shaikh Ali bin Nasser al Mahrouqi, Secretary-General of the Majlis Ash’shura, will be the Honorary Chairman of the forum. Amna al Awadi, is the General Supervisor of the forum.
“Previous Arab forums gave us reason to be here again. They were successful in terms of issues, their rightful solution and exchange of ideas between the entrepreneurs and the policymakers. Both the parties realised the strength and limitations and tried to sort out the issues therein. Every forum aimed at highlighting some contemporary issues and we are proud that there has been continuity and more and more people are getting associated with us,” said Amna al Awadi.
Being held during the tourism season, the destination gets automatic boost due to presence of participants from so many countries from all over the region. “Besides being speakers and specialists, they work as propagators of the destination when they return back to their respective countries. Here stands our association with the Salalah Tourism Festival,” she said.
The forum is to have discussions to stimulate creativity and innovation in line with the country’s principles of sustainable development, challenges and necessary push to achieve the desired goals of development.
“It is important to work on renewable energy, the area which is not properly tapped despite having huge potential all over the Arab world. We are here to encourage investment to move towards a knowledge-based economy and exploit the available resources in the Arab and other countries to contribute to economic development,” said Al Awadi.
Series of programmes have been lined up during the forum including specialised training courses to showcase the creativity of young people in the Arab world. That includes how to establish a successful project and develop creative thinking, ERP systems and solar energy systems in Oman. A field visit to the Salalah Free Zone has also been planned for the participants, while an Omani folk performance by Mzmar group and Salalah tour to showcase attractions in Dhofar would be entertainment highlights of the forum.
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