Seminar aims to promote investment opportunities for SME entrepreneurs

Muscat: Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday organised a seminar on promoting investment opportunities for SMEs.
The event, which was held under the auspices of Dr Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, at the Grand Hormuz Hotel, was organised in collaboration with Shadid Iron and Steel. It also reviewed 15 industrial and commercial investment opportunities offered by the company to owners of SMEs.
Ahmed bin Hassan al Theeb, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said that the seminar aimed at acquainting the owners of SMEs with investment opportunities, especially in the industrial sector and with the measures required in the industrial areas in the Sultanate.
He told reporters that Shadid Iron and Steel had studied some of the projects that could be based on the outputs of this plant and service projects that benefit the plant and provide them to the SMEs, noting that there are 15 industrial and commercial investment opportunities presented by the company for business owners of SMEs, including 9 manufacturing opportunities for small and medium and 6 opportunities to provide services to the factories.
A number of working papers were presented by several government agencies, colleges, banks, financial institutions and private sector companies.
The first working paper touched on the detailed explanation of the investment opportunities with the methodology of the study. The second dealt with the role of the Bank Nizwa in financing entrepreneurs, the role of Al Raffd Fund to finance entrepreneurs, and the role of the Oman Development Bank to finance entrepreneurs.
The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) discussed the idea of allocating and developing a site that has nine industrial investment projects in the Sohar Industrial Zone. Gulf College presented its role in helping entrepreneurs and the announcement of the free session for participants.
The Public Authority for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises, Riyada, reviewed its role in the development of entrepreneurs and the provision of land. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry provided a comprehensive introduction to InvestEasy portal, especially with regard to the industrial sector.
Youth Projects Development Fund ‘Sharaka presented its role in the development and financing of entrepreneurs.
The seminar organised bilateral meetings and open discussions between entrepreneurs and government and private entities participating in the seminar.
A number of government and private agencies involved in project financing, a number of CEOs, in addition to 150 entrepreneurs participated in the seminar.