Doha, May 18 (QNA) - Under the patronage of HE Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani, the 5th International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED2022) kicked off in Doha Wednesday under the title "Entrepreneurial Digital Transformation".
CEED 2022 is organized by Qatar University in cooperation with the Arab Planning Institute in the State of Kuwait.
The three-day conference aims to provide a forum for sharing ideas and interaction to advance entrepreneurship research in the region; foster research collaborations and share experiences in entrepreneurship and innovation practices; and develop sustainable policies that address economic, social and environmental challenges.
CEED 2022 will discuss a number of topics related to digital transformation, by hosting a number of experts and researchers from the State of Qatar, the Arab countries and various countries of the world. The conference will feature panel discussions to discuss relevant topics and shed light on the entrepreneurship system in the State of Qatar and the Arab countries and other countries of the world.
Addressing the opening of the conference, HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Sultan bin Rashid Al Khater underlined the importance of entrepreneurial digital transformation, especially in light of the great and unprecedented development in information and communication technology following the COVID-19 pandemic.
His Excellency noted that the coronavirus pandemic contributed to shortening years of implementing long-term plans to achieve digital transformation, to moving towards the actual implementation of these plans within a few months, in light of the countries' tendency to accelerate the adoption of technological solutions to address the economic consequences of the pandemic and achieve business continuity in various vital sectors to support the balance and stability of their economies.
In his speech at the opening of the 5th International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Sultan bin Rashid Al Khater added that the State of Qatar is aware of the vital role that digital technology plays in supporting the growth of the national economy, as it has worked to motivate various government agencies to adopt advanced technology solutions to shorten and facilitate procedures, cancel paper transactions, and digitize all services, thus contributing to the development of the business environment, according to a clear strategy aimed at building an advanced digital economy that achieves Qatar National Vision 2030.
In this regard, HE Al Khater noted the keenness of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to cooperate and coordinate with various relevant government agencies and bodies in order to speed up and shorten the procedures for granting approvals and licenses necessary to establish businesses and to provide access to these services through the smart electronic platform of the single window.
His Excellency explained that this platform aims to assist investors during the various stages of establishing their projects, starting from the planning stages, passing through the registration procedures, to issuing the necessary licenses through an electronic interface that connects the investor to about 18 government agencies in one platform.
In a related context, His Excellency said that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched the Thousand Opportunities initiative, which is part of the one-stop-shop electronic platform, allowing local investors and owners of small and medium enterprises to view existing and future opportunities and projects that will meet the various needs of their projects, whether in terms of products or services provided by local private sector companies.
His Excellency noted the ministry's inauguration of the Qatar Business Map portal on its website, with the aim of providing a database that contributes to facilitating the access of emerging and small projects to target customers, as well as helping entrepreneurs choose the ideal location to establish their businesses.
His Excellency pointed out that the State of Qatar ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and fourth globally in the best supportive government policies in the field of taxes and bureaucratic procedures, as well as first in the Middle East and North Africa and fifth globally in entrepreneurship education and training at university levels and vocational education.
His Excellency stressed that work will continue to develop more programs and initiatives and remove the challenges facing the various components of the private sector, especially entrepreneurship, and direct it towards sectors that support Qatar national economy.
His Excellency stressed Qatar's keenness to establish tools and programs to enhance the ability of young entrepreneurs to contribute to economic growth and develop their entrepreneurial projects, to be an important part of the pillars of the strength of the national economy.
To conclude his speech, His Excellency called on the entrepreneurship sector to present innovative and new projects and ideas in future sectors and industries, in order to support the country's march towards the transition to a knowledge-based digital economy. (QNA)