03 April 2006
MUSCAT -- A number of leading lights attending the World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Shangri La's Barr al Jissah Resort and Spa stress that entrepreneurship is key to creating job opportunities.
Zafar Siddiq, Chairman and CEO, CNBC Television Station, says the goals and objectives of the summit are designed to achieve a diversity in terms of demographic numbers of youth representatives to debate and highlight diverse aspects relevant to the creation of jobs for the future generations.
"The fact that the conference has highlighted and addressed relevant issues of interest is extremely interesting for the future of the Sultanate and the region as a whole," said Siddiq in a chat with the Observer. The most important issue in entrepreneurship and innovation is the realisation of creative ideas into an enterprise that practically assumes a very critical financial feature. The role of small and medium-size enterprises (SME) in this region is going to be critical if innovation and entrepreneurship are to progress on par with other parts of the world, remarked Siddiq.
"One of the key issues that would impact and have an effect in this region is the number of jobs required by the young generation. The demographics in the region are fairly scary and hence the government's ability to fund and generate jobs over the next 10-20 years will not be possible, whatever the financial state of governments. Hence, entrepreneurship plays a lead role in creation of jobs through innovative solutions to find concrete funding for such people."
Siddiq participated in the World Summit with a presentation on branding and the impact of changing technology and ways in which it would impact on entrepreneurs and youth in search of job opportunities given the cultural, social, technological and environmental issues that impact businesses in the future. He also shed light on the importance of the media by the year 2010.
Also commenting on the event Richard Stephens, Senior Vice President, Internal Services, the Boeing Company, said the summit was a great opportunity to gather leaders from the region, and people of different business and educational backgrounds to discuss innovation and entrepreneurship that would help ensure good jobs and opportunities for the region and to reach out to the global economy.
"The summit is the first of a set of actions that comprehends the impediments to innovation and entrepreneurship to develop a set of action plans to resolve issues that allow creating a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship capable of competing in global market," he said. Rana Abbadi, Chief Financial Officer, MobiNil, an Egyptian mobile services company which is participating on an invitation from the Arab Leaders Organisation, described the occasion as inspiring in finding fruitful therapy in innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship.
Abeer Mohammed al Abdwani, Senior Business Analyst, National Investment Funds Company, described the summit as an organised event with lots to learn and share with other entrepreneurs. "it is an event that enlightens us about various issues happening in other countries of the world and makes us think and decide on creative innovation and entrepreneurship in our respective countries."Leland Hardy, Founder of New York.com, on a mission to share his technology in e-commerce, described the event as fabulous in developing new ways of serving and sharing information, which contribute to faster methods of solving problems.
MUSCAT -- A number of leading lights attending the World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Shangri La's Barr al Jissah Resort and Spa stress that entrepreneurship is key to creating job opportunities.
Zafar Siddiq, Chairman and CEO, CNBC Television Station, says the goals and objectives of the summit are designed to achieve a diversity in terms of demographic numbers of youth representatives to debate and highlight diverse aspects relevant to the creation of jobs for the future generations.
"The fact that the conference has highlighted and addressed relevant issues of interest is extremely interesting for the future of the Sultanate and the region as a whole," said Siddiq in a chat with the Observer. The most important issue in entrepreneurship and innovation is the realisation of creative ideas into an enterprise that practically assumes a very critical financial feature. The role of small and medium-size enterprises (SME) in this region is going to be critical if innovation and entrepreneurship are to progress on par with other parts of the world, remarked Siddiq.
"One of the key issues that would impact and have an effect in this region is the number of jobs required by the young generation. The demographics in the region are fairly scary and hence the government's ability to fund and generate jobs over the next 10-20 years will not be possible, whatever the financial state of governments. Hence, entrepreneurship plays a lead role in creation of jobs through innovative solutions to find concrete funding for such people."
Siddiq participated in the World Summit with a presentation on branding and the impact of changing technology and ways in which it would impact on entrepreneurs and youth in search of job opportunities given the cultural, social, technological and environmental issues that impact businesses in the future. He also shed light on the importance of the media by the year 2010.
Also commenting on the event Richard Stephens, Senior Vice President, Internal Services, the Boeing Company, said the summit was a great opportunity to gather leaders from the region, and people of different business and educational backgrounds to discuss innovation and entrepreneurship that would help ensure good jobs and opportunities for the region and to reach out to the global economy.
"The summit is the first of a set of actions that comprehends the impediments to innovation and entrepreneurship to develop a set of action plans to resolve issues that allow creating a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship capable of competing in global market," he said. Rana Abbadi, Chief Financial Officer, MobiNil, an Egyptian mobile services company which is participating on an invitation from the Arab Leaders Organisation, described the occasion as inspiring in finding fruitful therapy in innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship.
Abeer Mohammed al Abdwani, Senior Business Analyst, National Investment Funds Company, described the summit as an organised event with lots to learn and share with other entrepreneurs. "it is an event that enlightens us about various issues happening in other countries of the world and makes us think and decide on creative innovation and entrepreneurship in our respective countries."Leland Hardy, Founder of New York.com, on a mission to share his technology in e-commerce, described the event as fabulous in developing new ways of serving and sharing information, which contribute to faster methods of solving problems.
By Maryam Khalfan
© Oman Daily Observer 2006
