During a press conference held today to mark the launch of the “Bebian 2017” forum, which will take place over four days from September 17 to 20, 2017, at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center, Dr. Ghassan Al-Suleiman, Advisor to the Ministry of Commerce and Investment and Governor of the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monsha’at), announced that the forum aims to open up growth opportunities for small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurship and to streamline related procedures.
Raising Awareness and Creating a Competitive Environment
Al-Suleiman explained that the forum aims to raise awareness among the public and those working in the SME sector about the importance of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship, and to contribute to providing an incubator environment and the technical infrastructure needed to support the sustainability and competitiveness of these enterprises, in line with efforts to achieve the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and increase the contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises to GDP from 20 to 35%..
Al-Suleiman emphasized that “Biban 2017” seeks to create a competitive environment that encourages more new enterprises to enter the market through enrichment, empowerment, education, and development, highlighting economically viable investment opportunities by identifying the needs of the local market, as well as working to enable existing enterprises to sustain, grow, and expand by finding appropriate financing solutions, and business incubators that will support the owners of these projects.
Support Is the Key Driver of Business Growth
For his part, Riyad Ma’awad, Executive Vice President of Government Sales and Key Accounts at Saudi Telecom Company, stated that the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises is pivotal to achieving the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 for future generations, and that one of the most important drivers of SME growth is support for them; Saudi Telecom Company seeks to provide this support by offering technical solutions as well as financial and moral support to draw attention to and build enthusiasm for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Leveraging Practical and Academic Expertise
The “Biban 2017” Forum features 12 sections that open up new horizons of knowledge for visitors: (The Journey, The Conference, The Awards, The Exhibition, The Marketplace, Networking, Empowerment, Opportunities, Solutions, Training, Enterprises, and the Biban Digital World). This is achieved by leveraging consultations provided by experts with practical and academic experience in the business sector for owners of existing enterprises and for those who will be establishing their own businesses in the future, in addition to opening up avenues for collaboration between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises—whether through marketing products and services in the dedicated market area at the forum or via the “Solutions Portal,” which serves as a bridge connecting major entities with SMEs so they can work together.
Awards for the Best Supporting Entities
The forum will feature an awards ceremony honoring the best supporters of small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurship from various government, financial, and educational sectors, as well as nonprofit organizations, as well as the private sector supporting entrepreneurship and SME programs. Finally, an award will be presented for the best program for SMEs and entrepreneurs.
It is worth noting that the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Manshaat) was established to serve and support the SME sector and entrepreneurs. Among its primary missions is organizing forums and exhibitions that will effectively contribute to fostering communication and enriching young people with distinctive entrepreneurial ideas, and ways to capitalize on them—whether for those with existing businesses or those passionate about starting new ventures in the business sector.
