Doha, Qatar- 10 September 2022: Bedaya Center for Entrepreneurship and Career Development (Bedaya Center), a joint initiative by Qatar Development Bank and Silatech, in partnership with LuLu Hypermarket, one of the largest retail stores in Qatar, inaugurated a dedicated section aiming to support local entrepreneurs at the Gharafa branch.

The inaugurated showcase platform is the culmination of the 'On the Shelf' initiative that was launched earlier this year in collaboration with Lulu Hypermarket and offers six local startups the ideal space to display their products– in-store – for a period of 3 months, no cost.

The startups went through a foundation program that provided them with the knowledge of how to prepare their products for inclusion in retail shops and supermarkets. The 3-dayprogram, which was held in May at Lulu Hypermarket’s headquarters, was attended by 33 participants.

On this occasion, Mr. Hamad Al-Qahtani, General Manager of Bedaya Center said, “Today we are witnessing yet another cooperation between Bedaya Center and Lulu Hypermarket Group to support startups and small & medium-sized enterprises. We always seek to enrich and enhance the capabilities of entrepreneurs in order to advance their businesses and put them on the right path to take their first steps in the world of success. Our mandate is to help our promising entrepreneurs achieve their desired goals that would stimulate their business, emphasize the quality of their products, and enhance their pioneering role in society by qualifying them to expand their clients base and achieve a wider reach for their offerings”.

From his side, Director of Lulu Group International, Dr. Mohamed Altaf, said, “We are elated to witness the successful results of the strategic partnership with Bedaya Center, which is in line with our vision of supporting and embracing Qatari startups, small and home businesses by opening new horizons for a large number of entrepreneurs who avail the Center’s support, especially when the Qatari products have proven their worth and ability to compete in terms of high quality and best prices. Today we are witnessing the launch of a special section dedicated for startups to display the products of the participating projects under the umbrella of Bedaya Center. We are confident that this distinguished initiative will be a constructive step in the joint co-operation with Bedaya aimed at supporting Qatari entrepreneurs and their emerging projects”.