HE the Governor of Qatar Central Bank (QCB) Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani, who is also chairman of Qatar Development Bank (QDB) is launching on Sunday the second edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Qatar.

Slated at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre until November 17, QDB said the GEW is designed to promote entrepreneurship by connecting startup owners, investors, researchers, and policymakers from across the globe.

QDB said the GEW takes place in at least 160 countries simultaneously each year. The international initiative introduces entrepreneurship to communities in six continents through a series of discussion panels, workshops, and training courses.

In addition to shedding light on the key issues of interest to the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, the platform provides a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to establish bridges across industries, QDB said.

QDB chief executive officer Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa said: “We are delighted to host GEW, a prestigious international event, for the second year in a row. Our organisation of this event fits perfectly with our larger policy framework to support the development of the SME sector and foster an entrepreneurial spirit among the members of our community. By empowering our private sector, we aim to rely on the ingenuity of our people to continue our national progress, as envisioned in Qatar National Vision 2030.”

For the duration of GEW, Bedaya Centre for Entrepreneurship & Career Development and Qatar Business Incubation Centre (QBIC) will jointly host a bazaar where products made by SMEs will be on display.

The bazaar will feature nearly 100 companies and will be open to the public for free throughout the week-long event from 1pm to 10pm. Local entrepreneurs will display a wide range of products, including accessories, clothes, flowers, food, gifts, and perfumes.

QDB said it encourages the participation of all Qatari entrepreneurs interested in joining discussions and interactive sessions at GEW. QDB said this year’s GEW Qatar is the latest in a series of the bank’s initiatives to promote the private sector.

In the past, QDB has extended a wide-range of support to SMEs across a myriad of industries to help entrepreneurs turn their business ideas into reality and successfully diversify the national economy by providing innovative products and services.