UNCTAD to expand its entrepreneurial training to Palestine

"One programme is about to start in Ramallah and we hope to expand within Palestine because we believe that in the long term an entrepreneurial spirit and small businesses will greatly assist the Palestinian economy," said Dezider Stefunko, Entrepreneurship Co-ordinator of UNCTAD's EMPRETEC Programme.

Stefunko was speaking at 'Entrepreneurs in Dubai' - the world's largest gathering of self-made tycoons and Corporate Arabia business leaders - which continues at the Dubai International Convention Centre (DICC) until Wednesday night (May 25).

UNCTAD's EMPRETEC programme promotes entrepreneurship in developing countries and economies in transition.

"We are also to enter talks with an organisation in Dubai which wishes to bring the programme to the UAE depending on funding," said Stefunko.

The UNCTAD co-ordinator said the programme had achieved results in Jordan where it had "developed the entrepreneurial cultural and adapted it to the local economy."

"The challenges are often to transform traditional risk-adverse thinking," he said. "An open entrepreneurial culture is very important to the Middle East and will make a difference. All the systems may be in place but ultimately it's about people making it happen."

Stefunko said the UNCTAD programme instills a 'Can Do' spirit, fosters positive and growth attitudes, builds confidence, makes people aware of their entrepreneurial business potential and give them a clear vision of the future. It is open to existing or promising entrepreneurs with high growth potential.

'Entrepreneurs in Dubai,' which has been organized by IIR Middle East in conjunction with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment For Young Business Leaders, will on Wednesday hear from a star-studded speaker line up including Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder and chairman of the UK's easyGroup, Debbie Fields, the founder of Mrs Fields' Cookies, Ola Ahlvarsson, co-founder and CEO of Result.com and Liz Jackson, founder and Managing Director of Great Guns Marketing.

"The advice which delegates have received from this powerful speaker platform which has included some of the best brains in business, will hopefully in the future translate into a new breed of entrepreneurial corporate leaders throughout the region," said Jessica Sutherland, General Manager, IIR Middle East.

IEFE is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment has already set up a Dhs 700 million (US $ 191 million) Islamic Fund to provide capital for new entrepreneurs.