Boosting Entrepreneurship Resilience

AlMabarrah AlKhalifia Foundation (MKF) has launched a specialized program titled “Crisis-Response: Youth Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Readiness Program, addressing Bahrain’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and aiming to equip entrepreneurs with the capabilities needed to thrive and respond to the volatile global economic climate. The initiative comes as SMEs across the Kingdom encounter pressures in ensuring operational continuity, maintaining financial resilience, adapting to disrupted supply chains, and remaining agile amid heightened geopolitical uncertainties.

In response to these challenges, the Foundation partnered with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s Investment and Technology Promotion Office in the Kingdom of Bahrain (UNIDO-ITPO Bahrain), The Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications; and the International Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to conduct a series of focused sessions highlighting the services, initiatives, and development opportunities available to support Bahraini and Bahraini-based entrepreneurs in various sectors. Held at the Foundation's headquarters, the sessions were delivered by a select group of specialists and experts, providing participants with valuable insights towards business sustainability, growth, access to new markets through franchising, digital transformation, transportation, telecommunications services; and stress management that contribute to wellbeing, business growth and operational efficiency in Bahrain. This collaboration aimed to offer practical, real-world guidance while leveraging local expertise and aligning with international standards.

The initiative brought together a diverse group of institutions representing Bahrain's entrepreneurship ecosystem. UNIDO-ITPO Bahrain presented globally recognized best practices in building the sustainability and long-term viability of SMEs, based on the methodology of the globally renowned “Enterprise Development & Investment Promotion Program” (EDIP), known as the Bahrain Model for Entrepreneurship. 

In addition, the program featured sessions delivered by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, and Export Bahrain, each providing specialized guidance tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs. Notably, Dr. Raed Shams also conducted a C3Q Workshop session, equipping participants with critical thinking and problem-solving strategies essential for entrepreneurial success. 

Meanwhile, the American University of Bahrain (AUBH) and Tamkeen are scheduled to deliver its sessions during June, contributing its academic and technical perspective on business development and innovation.

Across each session, participants were provided with actionable frameworks designed to help them improve operational performance, enhance resource management, and devise strategies capable of withstanding economic disruption. Beyond skills transfer, the workshops fostered deeper alignment between the academic and private sectors, thereby bridging the gap between theoretical models and their practical execution within a local business environment.

Following the completion of these sessions, participating entrepreneurs will engage in counseling to develop growth-oriented, bankable, and sustainable business plans. This step is designed to ensure that their enterprises are well positioned for long-term success and resilience in the evolving economic landscape.

On this occasion, Her Highness Shaikha Zain bint Khalid Al Khalifa, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of MKF, stated: “This initiative underscores the value of collaboration between national and international entities in developing effective solutions to the challenges facing the SME sector, which remains a vital driver of local economic growth opportunities. We are confident that the partnerships underpinning this effort will deliver meaningful outcomes that benefit all stakeholders.”

For his part, Dr. Hashim Hussein, Head of the UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office in Bahrain, said: “We are pleased to be working alongside MKF on this important initiative. This joint endeavor will help empower entrepreneurs and SMEs with the knowledge and tools needed to overcome challenges and pursue sustainable growth within a more resilient and stable business environment. We look forward to expanding this partnership and contributing to further initiatives of comparable scope in the future.”

The collaboration highlights MKF’s longstanding commitment to supporting socioeconomic development through investment in human capacity building, while empowering youth and entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into sustainable projects with tangible contributions to the national economy.

AlMabarrah AlKhalifia Foundation was established in 2011 as a non-profit organization registered and licensed by the Ministry of Social Development in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Foundation strives to create a positive social impact in education and empower local talent to reach their full potential through learning opportunities that equip them with knowledge, skills, and practical experience, ultimately benefiting both the individual and the nation.

For more information, please contact the Foundation by phone at +973 17499909, by email at info@mkfbh.org, or through its official website at www.mkfbh.org.