To commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day, Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), in partnership with MENA Women in Law (MENA WIL), Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm, QIncorp, HEC Paris in Qatar, and Beckett McInroy Consultancy, hosted a seminar at QSTP to inspire, guide and empower Qatari women to begin their own entrepreneurial journeys.
Titled “Establishing a business in Qatar – Awakening the Entrepreneur in You,” the seminar featured a range of expert speakers from the country’s legal and business sectors who spoke at length about the legalities, formalities, and essential steps involved in setting up a business in Qatar.
Stressing the importance of the seminar, Hayfa Al-Abdulla, Innovation Director at QSTP, said: “Innovative ideas are often either left unexplored or fail to gain enough traction when innovators lack self-affirmation and the right guidance. This is especially true in the case of women, who often have brilliant business ideas coupled with immense talent but are unfamiliar with the initial steps and the technicalities required to take the entrepreneurial route.
“QSTP is proud to actively play a role in fueling the passion of women to chase their entrepreneurial dreams, discover their capabilities, and achieve their ambitions by gaining necessary education and training via our various initiatives and support programs.”
Aspiring women business owners in attendance gained insights into the local entrepreneurial landscape while using the platform to address their concerns, build confidence in their ideas, and realize ways in which they can transform their entrepreneurial goals into business opportunities. Attendees were also guided on how to navigate cultural challenges dominant in the MENA region in order to become successful businesswomen and drive impact in the society.
“A day after International Women’s Day, it is a great privilege to celebrate women’s entrepreneurship”, said Francoise Mouly, co-founder of MENA Women in Law. “With this workshop, we wish to encourage women entrepreneurs in Qatar to take the first step by seeking the right support that can help them build their entrepreneurial ideas into successful ventures.
“Creating an environment that is conducive to nurturing women’s creativity, coupled with their natural strengths and talent, is the way to build a robust society where both men and women drive innovation together and can thrive. This is our ultimate goal.”
In addition, the program saw experts share valuable tips and advice on personal development with the ambitious women entrepreneurs to enable them to efficiently operate and prosper within a woman-empowered workplace.
Some of the topics covered during the program included: a deep dive into legal and business development; how to build trust and collaboration across cultures in the Gulf; and ways to survive and thrive in a competitive business environment.
Among the other speakers at the session were: Asma Al-Khulaifi Co-Founder MENA WIL; Riva Mounif and Amy Saretsky Legal Associates at Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm; Sunitha Nazar, Registrar, QSTP; Connor Hayes, Business Development Manager, QIncorp; Professor Guido Gianasso, Professor of Leadership at HEC Paris in Qatar; and Dr. Clare Beckett-McInroy, Talent Development Expert at QF, Founder of Beckett McInroy Consultancy.