The third annual GWC Forum, ‘Fostering Legacy – Empowering MSMEs in the Digital Era’, was a major success, attracting an audience of experts from government, the private sector and academia from Qatar and the region.
The event was held over two days in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) and QNB Group along with research partner Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), intelligence partner Oxford Business Group, and gift partner Q-Live.
Ahead of the forum, GWC and Qatar Development Bank (QDB) announced a cooperation agreement which will see the entities work together to support the MSME sector in Qatar.
Keynote speeches, discussions and workshops
The hybrid forum was streamed live on YouTube and moderated by Al Jazeera Network Senior News Anchor Emily Angwin. It featured keynote speeches, panel sessions and workshops. Delegates explored the legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and discussed how Qatar’s enterprising spirit will inspire growth across the region as the nation builds towards Qatar National Vision 2030.
According to GWC Group CEO Ranjeev Menon, this is an exciting time for MSMEs in Qatar. He said that as they work towards the realisation of Qatar National Vision 2030, they see strong growth and expansion as the country prioritises the development of the private sector.
He said that events like the GWC Forum highlight the important role that MSMEs are playing in boosting local and regional economies, especially as businesses continue to leverage Qatar’s successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup and position themselves to support future mega-events. This year’s GWC Forum shone a light on innovation, digital growth and the potential of AI to supercharge businesses and help them achieve new heights.
FIFA World Cup
The event kicked off with a keynote speech from Dr Hamad Mejegheer, Executive Director of Advisory and Incubation at QDB. Dr Hamad spoke about the landscape for MSMEs and outlined the various financial and advisory products QDB has developed to support enterprises in Qatar.
He said that Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup was nothing short of remarkable – transforming a sporting tournament into a cultural event that resonated globally and left a lasting impact on Qatar, accelerating the growth of the country’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The first panel session titled Enabling Growth, explored the impact of the FIFA World Cup on regional growth and sustainability, with particular focus on empowering MSMEs through sustainable logistics, the circular economy, education, and attracting foreign investment for long-term prosperity.
GWC Chief Business Development Officer Syed Maaz hailed the World Cup as a major milestone for Qatar and GWC. He said that Qatar delivered the best World Cup – and GWC delivered strong logistical support, without a single failure or incident.
2022 also saw the launch of the Al Wukair Logistics Park, which was a significant milestone in the country’s vision to create a diversified economy. Historically, Qatar has been an importer of goods – but now the MSME sector is being creative and developing opportunities to supply and provide various activities. Maaz said he is proud to be part of this ecosystem.
Digital MSMEs
The second panel session titled Digital MSMEs, explored tech and innovation to boost MSMEs in the digital era, leveraging AI, exceptional customer experiences, and e-procurement for better service, increased sales and operational efficiency. Contributors included GWC Chief Marketing Officer Jawaher Al Khuzaei, QDB Special Programmes Manager Aysha Al Romaihi and SkipCash Founder and Managing Director Mohammed Al Delaimi.
Al Romaihi said they encourage entrepreneurs to adopt technology and digitise their businesses as much as possible. She shared that they have a strong ecosystem to help digital start-ups like Sponix Tech, one of their success stories. Sponix Tech was part of the World Cup. They provide solutions to international broadcast channels – and are a major inspiration to other companies in Qatar.
SkipCash’s Al Delaimi, meanwhile, outlined why his business is dedicated to supporting MSMEs, whom he said are underserved by the banks. A simple solution – like a payment gateway or link – usually takes two months to create. But with SkipCash, these links and payment gateways are created on the same day. Al Delaimi said MSMEs give them a lot of feedback, which helps to continually update and improve their platform.
After two years, we are working with almost 1,000 MSMEs, helping them grow. We are also starting to see bigger enterprises approaching us, along with government entities.
On Day 2 of the forum, a workshop on the future of MSME presented a strategic approach for businesses preparing to navigate upcoming challenges effectively.
Following a keynote speech from GWC, HBKU also delivered a data-rich and interactive workshop focused on the opportunities and challenges facing MSMEs.
Click here to watch the GWC Forum 2023 on YouTube.
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