Factors that contribute to the internationalization of the Qatari Small and Medium Enterprises

Abstract

This study aims to identify the factors that the Qatari government can contribute to Qatar’s internationalization of Small-Medium Enterprises (SME). In addition, it highlights the current role played with a variation of the future proposed programs. The obstacles faced by entrepreneurs also have been identified, and was accompanied by counterparts’ views from the country’s officials. This study involved an online survey shared with 100 business owners and people working in the private sectors targeted through different mediums with help from Qatar Development Bank and their subsidiaries. The overall conclusion from the data analyzed is that there are still missing factors that the country lacks regulations, facilities, and education. However, there is evidence that the Qatari regulator moves in the right direction with the different initiatives and programs. Therefore, even though there are existing facilities, the programs offered do not fit the entrepreneurs’ needs. The entrepreneurs lack the managerial and marketing skills and the power in bargaining and negotiation with external stakeholders. The main recommendation is to set national private sector/SME advancement techniques within the broader national advancement translated in a centralized portal based on the overall conclusion. Different recommendations have been proposed to provide proper training programs’ implementation plan. The proposals include the capacity of the Qatari government to actualize sound macroeconomic arrangements. The training programs to involve the teachers’ development expand the learner’s ranks, content sharing facility, and instructional methods redesigning. In addition, accessibility to loans and advanced finance equity, mainly to medium and long-term opportunities to grow SMEs’ exchange and venture capacity align with the Qatari National Vision 2030, whereas keeping up sound government accounts will offer assistance to the accessibility of finance for improvement purposes.