Bahrain youngsters fail to secure investment

Entrepreneurial pursuits of many Bahraini youth come to an early end owing to their lack of knowledge on how to pitch their business ideas to investors, an expert opined.

The youth in Bahrain and the Middle East need help in learning how to win over investors, said United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Bahrain Head Dr. Hashim Hussein. 

According to him, entrepreneurial initiatives of many bright and talented youngsters often fail to take off just because they fail to secure an investment.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday to announce the dates for the Junior World Entrepreneurship Forum (JWEF), Hussein said that the lack of knowledge on how to present before an investor and their lack of confidence hold them back in their career. 

“Imagine you are an entrepreneur and you have a very good idea. But, if you don’t know how to present it, the investor won’t be convinced. You have to present in short sentences and with an impact,” he said, adding, “Pitching is very important, but pitching is a problem in the Middle East. The youth did not learn to do it and people do not have the confidence to speak on themselves,” he said.

Meanwhile, he also added that JWEF aims to help the youth advance in their entrepreneurial endeavours. 

Forum to be held next week

JWEF will be held from February 16 to 17. The event is a derivative of the World Entrepreneurship Forum (WEnF). JWEF has been held around the world in more than 20 countries. In this event local entrepreneurship personalities, industry experts, government officials and academia members share their experience with the participating youth. The forum aims to promote and accelerate junior entrepreneurship. JWEF in Bahrain will be organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation(UNIDO) and Origin Group. 

Ahmed Al Banna, Chief Executive, Origin Group, said, “With the forum, we want to create awareness with the young generation about entrepreneurship. Our objective is also to help the economy. We know that if we help young entrepreneurs, we are helping the economy.” 

The speakers at the forum include young successful entrepreneurs such as Ex-Founder and CEO of Talabat.com Mohammed Jaffar, Ghaliah General Manager AbdulRazag AlMutawa and Mode Mar-keting Studio Founder Faisal Sheraiff.