Muscat, Date: Zubair Enterprise Development Center (Zubair EDC) actively participated in the Gulf Business Incubator and Accelerator Conference for the sixth consecutive year. The event, titled “The Future of Business Incubators in the Gulf: Sustainability, Development and Financial Support,” was held in Bahrain. The conference was held under the patronage of His Excellency Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam, Speaker of the Bahrain House of Representatives, and was attended by various ministers, ambassadors, government officials and prominent entrepreneurs.
The two-day conference, co-hosted by the Bahrain Small and Medium Enterprises Development Association and the Bahrain Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, attracted strong participation from Gulf-based business incubators and accelerators.
Zubair EDC’s participation focused on strengthening efforts to foster sustainable entrepreneurship in the Sultanate. The Center facilitated the participation of several of its members in this event, allowing them to exchange experiences and knowledge with colleagues from other Arab countries. This collaboration strengthens both companies’ commercial operations and establishes a lasting partnership to support the ongoing development and sustainability of the project.
Ali Shaker, head of business development and partnerships at Zubair EDC, represented the center at the conference. He was accompanied by three prominent entrepreneurs. One is Abdulaziz Al Maawali, founder of Smartech Technology Solutions and Artificial Intelligence. Mazen Al Hadrami, founder of Let’s Go. and engineer Farha Al Kindi, co-founder and general manager of Meena Fishery.
Over two days, Zubair EDC played a key role in the conference’s interactive sessions. The Center’s active participation was characterized by drawing on its expertise accumulated over more than a decade and exchanging insights with other countries.
Mr. Ali Shaker presented a discussion paper in the session entitled “Sustainable Practices in Business Incubators”. In this paper, we have considered the important role of incubators in promoting and enhancing sustainability within emerging organizations. We have detailed how these incubators facilitate the adoption of sustainable projects. Furthermore, this paper also considered the factors that motivate entrepreneurs to align their businesses with sustainable development goals.
Other participants also had various discussions. Mazen Al Hadrami shared insights on how technology supports project sustainability and enhances innovation in incubators. Engineer Farha Al Kindi explored post-incubation challenges and opportunities, while Abdulaziz Al Marwari focused on “Liquidity crisis and its impact on incubators: causes and solutions.”
Ali Shaker expressed his gratitude to the Bahrain Small and Medium Enterprise Development Association for extending the invitation to Zubair EDC as part of an event to unite entrepreneurs in the GCC. Mr. Shaker also emphasized that this event is a means to strengthen support systems for entrepreneurship, ensure its sustainability and adapt to evolving needs and demands. Abdulaziz Al Marwari expressed his gratitude to Zubair EDC for allowing him to participate in the annual conference. He highlighted the importance of the event in skills development and creating investment avenues by bringing together peers across the GCC.
Founded in 2014, the Zubair Enterprises Development Center emphasizes the important role of enterprise development in an increasingly diverse economy. The center provides young Omani entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes with a stimulating and supportive professional environment to accelerate sustainable business.
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