Under the support of the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and in the presence of hundreds of young male and female entrepreneurs, the “First Forum for Young Entrepreneurs” activities were held in the Katara Cultural Village on Thursday and Friday, February 22 and 23.

The forum, which was organized by the Young Entrepreneurs Club, witnessed great interaction from entrepreneurs and visitors, during which many successful experiences in entrepreneurship, establishing small companies, and transforming creative ideas into projects on the ground were reviewed and showcased.

The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Ali Saeed Bu Sherbak Al Mansouri – Acting Director General of the Qatar Chamber, Mr. Ibrahim Khaled Al Sulaiti – President of the Young Entrepreneurs Club, Mr. Abdul Rahman Khaled Al Naama – Vice President of Young Entrepreneurs,  and Mr. Fawaz Abdullah Al Messefri, Head of the Youth Department at the Ministry of Sports and Youth.

During his speech at the opening ceremony of the forum, Mr. Ali Saeed Bu Sharbak Al Mansouri, Acting Director General of the Qatar Chamber, stressed that the Chamber, as a representative of the Qatari private sector, is keen to support entrepreneurship, noting the cooperation agreement that the Chamber recently signed with the Entrepreneurship Club to organize the relationship between them in support of entrepreneurship businesses.

Al Mansouri expressed his thanks to the Ministry of Sports and Youth for the generous sponsorship of this forum, which is considered an opportunity for the entrepreneurial community to exchange ideas and experiences, adding that Qatar Chamber plays an essential role in enhancing the role of entrepreneurship, out of its belief in the importance of small, medium and micro enterprises in contributing to the national economy, where the Chamber strengthens communication and coordination with all relevant authorities in the country in order to support the growth and continuation of the business of entrepreneurs, especially with regard to promoting their projects and inviting them to participate in the events and exhibitions that the Chamber organizes or participates in, expressing his aspiration that these ideas and innovations will turn into projects of benefit to the Qatari economy.

Al Mansouri pointed out that, based on this, the Chamber has launched many initiatives, events and conferences that empower project owners with knowledge and develop their business projects.

For his part, Mr. Ibrahim Khaled Al Sulaiti – President of the Young Entrepreneurs Club, in his opening speech of the forum, praised the great support provided by His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, Minister of Sports and Youth, to empower Qatari youth and support entrepreneurs. He also praised the unlimited support provided by Qatar Chamber to stimulate the business environment, pointing out that the first forum for young entrepreneurs is an important step towards achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030 in aspects related to youth and entrepreneurs.

Al-Sulaiti cited quotes from His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the country, including: “Qatar National Vision 2030 embodies our commitment to providing a decent life for its citizens through sustainable development, and specifically, that segment of our society that is the most vibrant and innovative – our youth,” pointing out His Highness repeatedly stressed this point, and that “investing in youth is an investment in Qatar’s bright future.”

Al-Sulaiti pointed out that the Young Entrepreneurs Club organized more than 35 various activities, including workshops, educational seminars, and communication meetings, which brought together more than 1,000 male and female entrepreneurs from various sectors, highlighting that these events played an important role. In building bridges of communication between entrepreneurs, and in providing a strong platform for professional and personal growth and development.

He stressed that the club’s commitment goes beyond organizing events to creating a supportive environment that contributes to realizing the visions and dreams of young entrepreneurs in Qatar, and working to create a platform that enables young entrepreneurs to realize their dreams and highlight their full potential, adding that this forum is more than just a passing event; rather, it is the beginning of a transformational process, where we share ideas, exchange experiences, and build networks that support our ambitions and contribute to the growth and development of our country.

A short video was shown of the achievements of the Entrepreneurs Club members, including the highlights of the Young Entrepreneurs Club during the past eleven months.

Following the opening, the senior guests toured the exhibition accompanying the forum, which included pavilions for young entrepreneurs containing their projects, where Al-Mansouri, Al-Sulaiti, and the senior guests of the forum listened to an explanation from the entrepreneurs about their projects and the challenges they faced.

During the forum, dozens of successful projects were reviewed, which the young entrepreneurs were able to transform from ideas into existing projects. The two-day work sessions included discussion panels and presentations from the founders of successful companies, among the young entrepreneurs, where they shared their experiences, challenges, and strategies with the attendees, and explained to them how they faced and overcame these challenges and achieved success in their projects.