Establishing a Small and Medium Enterprise Development Center
In cooperation with the International Labour Organization

Acknowledgment

This project comes as a result of extensive discussions between the ILO/Regional Office for Arab States and the Social Development Center on how to encourage Qatari nationals (women and men) to engage to start their own business rather then rely on an employment opportunity to be provided by the public sector.

Promoting enterprise development among Qatari nationals will contribute to the national goal of providing employment opportunities to Qataris in the private sector and will lead to the effective economic and social participation of Qatari nationals in the development of their nation.

The Center will provide Qatari entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs-to-be with business training and follow up services to enable them to start their own viable businesses as an alternative to employment in the public sector.

The Center's activities will complement SDC's training and placement activities, which were launched last year through the "First Step Programme" and the financial support to business start-ups which will be available through the existing Micro-Start fund.

I seize this opportunity to extend my gratitude and appreciation to Q-Tel for sponsoring this project and providing valuable support to SDC.

I would also like to express my appreciation and thanks to the ILO, namely Ms. Rania Bikhazi, SME Specialist in the Regional Office for Arab States, for her dedicated work that led to the realization of this project.

Amal Abdellatif Al Mannai

General Manager