Fikra Program successfully concludes its third edition
Gulf Bank sponsors Entrepreneurship Training Program for the 2nd year
KUWAIT CITY, April 7: Under the patronage of the Minister of Commerce and Industry, His Excellency Khaled Al-Roudhan, Fikra Program concluded its third edition of the Entrepreneurship Training Program with a closing ceremony at the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre on April 3, 2018. Gulf Bank was among the sponsors of this program, which aims to provide entrepreneurs with the tools and support they require to establish their own innovative businesses.
Managed by Cubical Services Business Incubator, Fikra Program is an intensive training program that provides aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools and support they require to establish their own innovative business. The training includes leadership skills, comprehensive business planning, marketing, investment opportunities, navigating legal issues and contracts, and a variety of other issues to help entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground. The program also provides one-on-one mentoring for the aspiring entrepreneurs.
Ms Esra Al Habib, External Communications Manager at Gulf Bank said, “We are happy to see the improvement made by the participants in the program, whose ideas have grown so much throughout the training period, from the workshops to the mentorship period, and now, today at the close of this edition. Fikra Program took these great ideas and developed them into full-fledged businesses, ready to enter the market. At Gulf Bank, we are committed to supporting these youthful initiatives and projects and think that such support is integral to the development of our country. We are proud of our participants and look forward to hearing from them and many more entrepreneurs in the future.”
Following the second edition of the program which concluded in May 2017, over 30% of the businesses are fully operational and the rest are close to operating. Combined, the three editions of Fikra Program witnessed over 550 applications, 45 business ideas, 57 training sessions and 76 trained entrepreneurs.
In the third edition, entrepreneurs concluded 20 entrepreneurship training programs over a period of four months, followed by a mentoring stage. That all led up to the final ceremony, which was preceded by a final exhibition of their projects.
Ms Mariam Hisham Al Rayes, Fikra Program Manager at Cubical Services Business Incubator, expressed her sense of pride in the participants and the tremendous work put in by each and every one of them to ensure that their business ideas were developed. Ms Al Rayes said: “When Fikra Program was first established, it was inspired by the idea of embodying a support system for driven aspiring entrepreneurs. We are passionate about empowering aspiring entrepreneurs with creative business ideas and helping them achieve their dreams. Today, we are proud of what they have achieved and what the Program was able to offer each participant. I would like to thank all sponsors, mentors and trainers who contributed their time and efforts to ensure that Kuwait’s entrepreneurs are equipped with what they need to secure a bright and prosperous future. Congratulations to all participants. We look forward to the fourth edition of Fikra Program, and are excited to support new and innovative ideas by aspiring entrepreneurs and help them establish their businesses.”
Following the ceremony, a number of Fikra Program entrepreneurs from the second and third editions will take part in the 2018 AIM Start-up Pitch Competition, held at the Dubai World Trade Center under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Gulf Bank is a gold sponsor of the Fikra Program, an intensive entrepreneurship training program that provides aspiring entrepreneurs with the technical skills and business knowledge needed to launch their own businesses such as leadership skills, comprehensive business plan design, mentorship, financial analysis, media exposure, and investment opportunities, for the second consecutive year.
Fikra Program is under the patronage of HE Khaled Al Roudan, Minister of Commerce & Industry and is proudly supported by Ministry of State for Youth Affairs, The National Fund for SME Development, Al Hamra Real Estate Company, Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa Commercial Co, Gulf Bank, Markaz Financial Center, Lexus Kuwait as a part of Al Sayer Group, and Grand Cinemas. Fikra Program is managed by Cubical Services Business Incubator.
For more information on Gulf Bank, please visit one of Gulf Bank’s 57 branches, call 1805805, log on to www.e-gulfbank.com or visit Gulf Bank’s social media channels.