Helping entrepreneurs gain a stepping stone into the market, Shell Intilaaqah, the flagship enterprise growth programme of Oman Shell, once again joined the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprise Development (Riyada) as Gold sponsor of the 7^th Ebdaat Omania Expo.

Part of their long-standing partnership to support the development of entrepreneurship in the Sultanate, the five-day event at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, offered start-ups a unique opportunity to market their products and forge business partnerships that will take their businesses to the next level. During the event, Shell Intilaaqah also sponsored the two-day Riyada Talk, a contest where entrepreneurs from across the Sultanate shared their business ideas and projects in front of a number of representatives from Oman Shell, investors, banks and financial representatives for the chance to win a grant and key business collaborations. Competing against seven entrepreneurs, two were granted by Shell Intilaaqah. Shaikha bint Ali Al Balushi, owner of Ibtisama Al Anwar for organic products was granted RO5,000 and nutritionist Sundus bint Khamis Al Wahabi, owner of Noon Centre also won a RO5,000 grant.

Najwa Mansoor Al Kindi, Director of Shell Intilaaqah, represented Oman Shell among the panellists, commenting, “Ebdaat Omania is a valuable part of our collaboration with Riyada and a great platform for Omani entrepreneurs to get to the next growth stage of their enterprise. The exhibition was a unique gathering of bright business minds looking for broader exposure in the market, whether to consumers or investors. This will definitely help grow their businesses and contribute to the Sultanate’s burgeoning entrepreneurial community.” Participants included 5 Shell Intilaaqah graduates who displayed a variety of their products and services at the booth.

“The Aspire and Inspire programme has proved invaluable to so many of us starting out on our path to entrepreneurship, helping us to turn our ideas into real, viable businesses. But the growth process does not stop there, and thankfully, neither has the support. The Ebdaat Omania Expo was an amazing platform to test our businesses in the market, to promote ourselves further, and to take the next step on the road to success,” said Ohood Al Shibli, a Shell Intilaaqah alumni and owner of Omani made honey.

Through a long-term strategic partnership, Shell Intilaaqah and Riyada jointly implement the Aspire and Inspire programme, an initiative that aims at supporting Omani entrepreneurs through the different stages of their business startups, starting from the business ideas stage, to training, counselling and mentoring and business insolvency diagnostic support.