MUSCAT — AMIDEAST celebrated the graduation of the second and final batch of entrepreneurial students who benefited under a sponsorship deal with Bank of Beirut. The Bank of Beirut provided scholarships for 20 Omanis to take advantage of AMIDEAST's “Starting a Business” course which is offered in partnership with Cisco Entrepreneur Institute. The 48-hour programs were conducted for two separate groups of participants, from October 2011 to March 2012.
“At Bank of Beirut, we believe in giving,” said Ramy Zambarkji, Bank of Beirut’s Managing Director – Oman Branches. “We are very proud to support any event which addresses some of the most prevalent issues in the Sultanate and makes a tangible difference to the lives of Oman’s most vulnerable.”
Zambarakji emphasized that the Bank has achieved a lot of encouraging results in this field which inspire him to continue supporting promising programs. “With the developments and requirements of the economic growth in the Sultanate, the Bank is offering a precious opportunity with one objective: Helping entrepreneurs to achieve their targets,” he added.
The “Starting a Business” course is a practical, comprehensive program comprised of a step-by-step approach to writing a robust business plan – the end product of the 48-hour course. Building on curricula from the renowned business schools at Stanford and Cornell Universities in the US and featuring online resources and networking, the course content has been localized, making it relevant to the Omani market. Local guest speakers contribute valuable insights into marketing strategies, regulatory procedures and funding sources, further adding to the value of the course.
“We are honored to partner with Bank of Beirut in Oman as we support the development of small and medium enterprises in the Sultanate,” said Sarah Jackson, AMIDEAST/Oman Country Director. “Their contribution enabled the dream of entrepreneurship to come true for the Omani participants who received Bank-funded scholarships. By demystifying the steps to launching or expanding a business, AMIDEAST — with its localized Cisco Entrepreneur Institute courses — is providing a valuable resource for aspiring entrepreneurs in Oman.”
"I found this course extremely useful. It was an excellent introduction to different aspects of starting a business. I found having guest talking about their experiences extremely helpful," said participant Intisar al Busaidy.
Her colleague Saba al Busaidy added, "The instructor made it look very simple, and made every session interesting. Overall I would say he was excellent."
AMIDEAST’s partnership with Cisco Entrepreneur Institute allows several of its offices throughout the region to offer high-quality entrepreneurship training that features a curriculum developed by Stanford and Cornell Universities’ Business Schools as well as "myownbusiness.inc" and that draws upon the practical knowledge of Cisco’s 22 years of technology-enabled business expertise. Courses feature a combination of facilitated and online training, and provide participants with access to a broad and engaging collection of resources, ideas and people that can help entrepreneurs to succeed.
