Qatar Development Bank (QDB) launched yesterday its multi-service support centre ‘One Stop Shop’ to cater to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The facility is located inside the premises of Qatar Business Incubation Centre (QBIC).
To develop a resource centre with all the necessary services needed by SMEs under one roof, QDB coordinated with the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Energy & Industry, QNB, Ooredoo, and Qatar Postal Services Company for the launch of the facility.
QDB said the move comes in line with its efforts to make the bank’s resources readily available to entrepreneurs and be physically approachable by the growing SME community in Qatar.
With the opening of the new multi-service support centre, entrepreneurs and SME owners may now avail of many developmental resources in a single location, such as a wide range of QDB’s products and services to support the growth of SMEs.
For instance, through this resource centre, QDB can now facilitate SMEs in meeting the official procedures of governmental and non-governmental bodies. The ‘One Stop Shop’ has full-service offices for Qatari ministries and government departments that support SMEs, QDB said.
“Our ‘One Stop Shop’ solution for the SME community is consistent with our objectives at QDB to contribute meaningfully to the achievement of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and support the ongoing economic diversification of Qatar,” said QDB chief executive officer Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa.
“By bringing together the most commonly-sought business resources under one roof, QDB and QBIC aim to stimulate the private sector marketplace by facilitating the entry of new participants. Furthermore, this centre will also prove to be an asset for the start-ups being incubated at QBIC. It is our firm conviction that with the creation of such infrastructure the SMEs and the private sector across Qatar will be able to participate more fully and dynamically in the nation’s growing economy,” he said.
Interested entrepreneurs may also approach QDB officials at the multi-service support centre for advice on issues concerning the SME community and guidance on local procedures for obtaining licensing and permissions to provide new services.
To facilitate queries regarding the acquisition of licensing, permits and other information, a user-friendly hotline, 44300000, has been installed. A key role of the latest “One Stop Shop” branch is to provide client aftercare, whereby QDB’s staff follows up with entrepreneurs and SMEs to ensure they are well-supported.
QDB said the launch of “One Stop Shop” is the latest in a series of initiatives through which the bank seeks to simplify the entry route for new companies, which focus on technology and operate on eco-friendly business plans to join the market.
QBIC, the bank’s partner for the multi-service support centre, is a business incubation centre that provides support services to help entrepreneurs and companies that wish to develop their new business concepts or grow their existing operations.