11 April 2016
DOHA: The Qatar Development Bank (QDB) has successfully supported some 25 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who have started offering a wide range of products and services to fill gaps in country's tourism sector, a top official of the state-backed bank said.
"We have successfully completed the project in close cooperation with Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), and supported about 25 entrepreneurs to avail the opportunities within the tourism sector," Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa, CEO of QDB told The Peninsula on the sidelines of an event recently.
"Within the tourism sector there were gaps, and we have converted those gaps into opportunities for the local private sector enterprises," he added.
Al Khalifa said that most of the enterprises QDB extended its support are now operational and providing services to Qatar's tourism sector. Some are into offering luxury dhow dining cruise, a luxury coach company, a 4x4 car leasing company among others.
Speaking about the nature and extent of the support QDB provided to these young entrepreneurs and startups, he said: "There were some who required financial assistance but there were others who needed only consultancy services and sought some information that we provided to the best possible and professional manner."
QTA, as part of its efforts to promoting local tourism sector had signed agreements with QDB about a year ago to establish a Tourism Incubation Zone at the Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC) to support tourism start-ups and scale-ups.
QBIC, a joint initiative of QDB and the Social Development Center is entrusted to empower local entrepreneurs to start and grow companies by incubating, developing, investing and connecting them with right partners.
The incubation centre with a team of professionals, under the chairmanship of Al Khalifa (QDB's CEO), is involved in developing the next QR100m companies in Qatar to diversify the local economy in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
The other segments where gaps were identified within Qatar's tourism value chain included establishing SMEs, Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions (MICE) companies, Events Destination Management companies (DMC), and integrated ticking and mobile information centers.
Al Khalifa also said that QDB was proud to partner with QTA and having worked with it to implement the project which was vital for the advancement of Qatar's tourism sector and one of starting points towards achieving tourism strategy as part of Qatar's vision.
DOHA: The Qatar Development Bank (QDB) has successfully supported some 25 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who have started offering a wide range of products and services to fill gaps in country's tourism sector, a top official of the state-backed bank said.
"We have successfully completed the project in close cooperation with Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), and supported about 25 entrepreneurs to avail the opportunities within the tourism sector," Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa, CEO of QDB told The Peninsula on the sidelines of an event recently.
"Within the tourism sector there were gaps, and we have converted those gaps into opportunities for the local private sector enterprises," he added.
Al Khalifa said that most of the enterprises QDB extended its support are now operational and providing services to Qatar's tourism sector. Some are into offering luxury dhow dining cruise, a luxury coach company, a 4x4 car leasing company among others.
Speaking about the nature and extent of the support QDB provided to these young entrepreneurs and startups, he said: "There were some who required financial assistance but there were others who needed only consultancy services and sought some information that we provided to the best possible and professional manner."
QTA, as part of its efforts to promoting local tourism sector had signed agreements with QDB about a year ago to establish a Tourism Incubation Zone at the Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC) to support tourism start-ups and scale-ups.
QBIC, a joint initiative of QDB and the Social Development Center is entrusted to empower local entrepreneurs to start and grow companies by incubating, developing, investing and connecting them with right partners.
The incubation centre with a team of professionals, under the chairmanship of Al Khalifa (QDB's CEO), is involved in developing the next QR100m companies in Qatar to diversify the local economy in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
The other segments where gaps were identified within Qatar's tourism value chain included establishing SMEs, Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions (MICE) companies, Events Destination Management companies (DMC), and integrated ticking and mobile information centers.
Al Khalifa also said that QDB was proud to partner with QTA and having worked with it to implement the project which was vital for the advancement of Qatar's tourism sector and one of starting points towards achieving tourism strategy as part of Qatar's vision.
© The Peninsula 2016
