Under the generous patronage of His Highness the Amir
QDB concludes the Qatar Entrepreneurship Award and Conference 2021

Doha, Qatar – 10 November 2021 – Held under the generous patronage of His Highness The Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) has concluded the Qatar Entrepreneurship Award and Conference (ROWAD Qatar) 2021, which was organized this year in a hybrid format, under the theme ‘Digital Transformation & Thriving in the New Economy’. The Minister of Commerce and Industry H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Qassim Al-Abdullah Al-Thani delivered a speech at the third ROWAD Awards ceremony that was held yesterday (Wednesday 10th November) as part of ROWAD 2021.

The three-day conference was held under the strategic sponsorship of the Qatar Investment Authority, the platinum sponsorship of Qatar Science and Technology Park, and the golden sponsorship of Qatar International Islamic Bank. This year’s edition was also organized in collaboration with a sector-diverse array of national partners representing the governmental, semi-governmental, and private sectors, in addition to several global partners including Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and the World Economic Forum.

Reaffirming the stature of ROWAD Qatar, the Minister of Commerce and Industry H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Qassim Al-Abdullah Al-Thani said:

“This year’s theme, ‘Digital Transformation & Thriving in the New Economy’, opens discussion of the post-pandemic economy and brings to the fore a wide range of timely topics including the future of automation and digital transformation, relevant national and global challenges and opportunities, and new avenues of collaboration and joint work towards developing a more conducive national business environment that aligns with the Qatar National Vision 2030.”

Through a diverse agenda of over 30 focused workshops, three panel discussions, and a special keynote by the Advisor to the Founder of ‘Zoom’, ROWAD Qatar 2021 explored new horizons for digital transformation at the national and global levels, the state of the entrepreneurship and SME ecosystems in the new economy, and various ways to navigate and invest in emerging growth opportunities. The conference’s sessions saw the participation and attendance of myriad speakers representing various entrepreneurship-related domains from Qatar and around the world.

QDB’s Acting CEO Mr. Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi expressed his gratitude for the success of this year’s conference, noting the pivotal role that ROWAD Qatar plays in enriching the country’s business ecosystem. He added:

“Through this pioneering national initiative, we continue to celebrate the success and achievements of innovative entrepreneurs as part of our ongoing efforts to create a positive climate that stimulates innovation and creativity across sectors and fields, and in line with the conference’s aim to further develop the national entrepreneurship ecosystem, which lies at the heart of QDB’s strategic vision and the country’s ambitions for its economy. We are very pleased with how the event turned out and the feedback we have received so far.”

The conference’s Award ceremony honored the winners of the third ROWAD Awards across five categories. Accordingly, the ‘Best SME of the Year’ title was awarded to Qatar Meat Production Company and the ‘Best SME in Innovation’ award was claimed by Shoura Business Group. Meanwhile, Papercut Factory won in the ‘Best SME in Sustainability’ category, Qatar German Gasket Factory garnered the ‘Best SME in Quality Excellence’ award in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and Render Advertising and Printing took home the ‘Best Microbusiness of the Year’ award in partnership with NAMA Center.

On the closing day of the conference, QDB signed three memoranda of understanding with Startup Genome on ‘Showcasing the Qatar Startup Ecosystem Globally’, Ooredoo on ‘Mutual Business Cooperation for the ERP Program’, and Qatar University on ‘Mutual Business Cooperation in the Areas of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development’.

The Qatar Entrepreneurship Award and Conference 2021 was launched on the 8th of November and concluded on the 10th. Many participating entrepreneurs and SMEs expressed their contentment with this year’s edition, which saw a huge turnout across QDB’s various platforms.