Region ‘needs’ entrepreneurs
Sheikha Hanadi (right) in a panel session during the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship in Washington DC
Sheikha Hanadi Nasser bin Khalid al-Thani, founder & chairperson of Amwal, has stressed the need for promoting entrepreneurship in the Middle East.
“Increasing entrepreneurship is vital to the future of the Middle East. We have to promote partnerships that provide innovative solutions and support entrepreneurial ecosystems in the region. Educational, social and cultural aspects are all crucial to developing new businesses in the Middle East,” said Sheikh Hanadi while attending the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship and TechWadi Global Technology Forum (GTF) in Washington DC.
The Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship was a result of US President Barack Obama’s commitment to deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and entrepreneurs in the US and Muslim communities around the world.
The summit represents an opportunity to support business and social entrepreneurship in Muslim-majority countries (MMCs), including their minority populations, and Muslim communities around the world.
Through this summit, the US joined existing efforts and helped inspire new efforts to promote entrepreneurship and innovation.
Sheikha Hanadi participated in the panel on “Promoting entrepreneurship and enabling business”.
Karen Mills of the US Small Business Administration moderated the panel, which focused on how governments can support and encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, including the development and growth of small and medium enterprises.
Sheikha Hanadi also attended the TechWadiGlobal Technology Forum, a networking association for Arab-American professionals in the technology industry.
Speaking at the forum, she said: “It is up to us in the private sector to ‘make it happen’ and develop and grow a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Middle East.
“We have to empower Arab entrepreneurs and build strategies to accelerate entrepreneurship, develop our educational programmes and strengthen opportunities for cross-border collaboration. All the support initiatives that had been announced during the summit are encouraging though we need to dedicate it toward sectors where there are opportunities with untapped potentials.”
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Closing Remarks at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship
Closing Remarks at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship
And here are some of the outcomes of this summit, as to what the United States intends to do. First, we are launching the Global Entrepreneurship Program. That’s an initiative that will provide concrete support to new entrepreneurs, starting in Muslim-majority communities and eventually expanding to others worldwide. Through this program, we will work with the United States private sector partners and local businesses, along with civil society groups, to help create successful entrepreneurial environments. We will help sponsor business plan competitions to identify and support promising ideas. We will work to expand access to capital so entrepreneurs with a sound business concept will have access to credit to enable them to put their ideas to work. We will facilitate partnerships between business schools in the United States and educational institutions worldwide to share knowledge and help strengthen business education. We will support mentoring programs so someone starting out can benefit from the experience of someone who’s been down that road before.
I’m pleased to announce the launch of the Global Entrepreneurship Program’s first pilot program, in Egypt, coordinated by a team of Entrepreneurs in Residence from USAID. We will soon launch our second program in Indonesia, and we plan to expand to a dozen countries within the next two years. (Applause.)
Second, we have established partnerships with two Silicon Valley-based organizations: the Global Technology and Innovation Partners, and the Innovators Fund. Both were started by U.S. venture capitalists and business leaders inspired by President Obama’s call at Cairo to support innovation and entrepreneurship in Muslim majority communities worldwide. Both partnerships will launch in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Malaysia, and will then expand from there. (Applause.)
And here are some of the outcomes of this summit, as to what the United States intends to do. First, we are launching the Global Entrepreneurship Program. That’s an initiative that will provide concrete support to new entrepreneurs, starting in Muslim-majority communities and eventually expanding to others worldwide. Through this program, we will work with the United States private sector partners and local businesses, along with civil society groups, to help create successful entrepreneurial environments. We will help sponsor business plan competitions to identify and support promising ideas. We will work to expand access to capital so entrepreneurs with a sound business concept will have access to credit to enable them to put their ideas to work. We will facilitate partnerships between business schools in the United States and educational institutions worldwide to share knowledge and help strengthen business education. We will support mentoring programs so someone starting out can benefit from the experience of someone who’s been down that road before.
I’m pleased to announce the launch of the Global Entrepreneurship Program’s first pilot program, in Egypt, coordinated by a team of Entrepreneurs in Residence from USAID. We will soon launch our second program in Indonesia, and we plan to expand to a dozen countries within the next two years. (Applause.)
Second, we have established partnerships with two Silicon Valley-based organizations: the Global Technology and Innovation Partners, and the Innovators Fund. Both were started by U.S. venture capitalists and business leaders inspired by President Obama’s call at Cairo to support innovation and entrepreneurship in Muslim majority communities worldwide. Both partnerships will launch in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Malaysia, and will then expand from there. (Applause.)
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