The event was organised by the Centre for Entrepreneurship & Organisational Excellence at the Qatar University (QU) College of Business & Economics, in co-operation with Qatar Chamber.

The roundtable was attended by Engineer Ali bin Abdullatif al-Misnad, Qatar Chamber board member; Professor Rana Sobh, dean of the QU College of Business & Economics; and Professor Said el-Bana, director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship & Organisational Excellence.

Also present at the meeting were Qatar Chamber acting general manager Ali bu Sherbak al-Mansouri, along with a several experts, entrepreneurs, researchers, academics, and representatives from leading business organisations.

Discussions during the meeting focused on the personal characteristics and qualities of entrepreneurs and self-employed people, and how these characteristics can impact the work environment.

Al-Misnad emphasised that the chamber strongly believes in the pivotal role played by entrepreneurs and seeks to assist them in developing their businesses. This includes enabling them to transform their innovative ideas into successful enterprises by facilitating their participation in local and regional exhibitions and forums, such as the ‘Made in Qatar’ expo.

For her part, Sobh said QU’s top priorities are to promote innovation and entrepreneurship with the aim of enhancing the country’s economic diversification, noting that the university is keen to prepare graduates for the labour market and foster their entrepreneurial mindset.

El-Bana delivered a presentation on ‘Self-Employment and the Socio-Economic Environment in Qatar and the Region: Perspectives on Localisation Strategies in the GCC Countries’.

El-Bana reviewed the main challenges facing the region, the role of education in promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship, and localisation practices in the region from several perspectives.

Al-Mansori highlighted that the roundtable contributes to identifying localisation objectives and job opportunities, as well as facilitating the exchange of experiences between Qatar University, entrepreneurs, and the private sector.

During the event, Dr Charbel Bassil from the Finance & Economics Department at QU, and Dr Mahour Parast from Arizona State University, reviewed their joint research titled ‘Personality Characteristics of Self-Employed Individuals and the Socio-Economic Impacts’, which is a Templeton-funded project.

It also featured presentations and insights from speakers representing various institutions, including the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, QU, Qatar Chamber, Injaz Qatar, the International Labour Organisation, Torba Store, Torba Market, and the Young Entrepreneurs Club.