Arab SMEs summit to kick off next Sunday

AMMAN — The Arab Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) summit, considered the first of its kind, will be  launched on next Sunday under the patronage of HRH Crown Prince Hussein.

The event organised by the UN Economic and Social Committee for Western Asia (ESCWA) in cooperation with the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), will also feature the participation of number of the Arab ministers working in the business sector and project development, according to a statement from JEDCO.

This summit aims to gather private sector representatives from various Arab countries help SMEs access regional and international markets, mobilise financial resources, benefit from regional and international networks and increase their ability to scale. 

Recent years have posed severe challenges to the Arab region’s SMEs. Overcoming these challenges is fundamental to positioning Arab SMEs for future progress, and ensuring growth that leaves no one behind, the statement said.

Under the theme “Opportunities beyond borders”, the summit will be divided into three sub-themes over the event’s three day course. The sub-themes include: “Opportunities to access markets and global value chains [GVCs]”, “Financial opportunities and green growth”, and “Digitisation and disruptive innovation”.

The summit brings together some 600 selected participants, including entrepreneurs, investors, business influencers, political leaders, economists, journalists, intergovernmental organisations, non-governmental organisations and donors for 20 main sessions and 10 side events, the statement added.