Qatari small business leaders learn tips from South Korea

The Qatar Leadership Centre’s (QLC) Rising Leaders Program participants recently traveled to South Korea to learn from the nation's success with small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The visit was the latest trip of the QLC, where Rising Leaders Program participants travel to some of the world’s major business centers to learn from established business leaders.

The Rising Leaders consist of business people who hold managerial positions in various Qatari organizations. They travel to adopt top business techniques that are in line with the Qatar National Vision of 2030, calling for the Gulf nation to take major steps to diversify its economy and move away from depending on oil capital.

During the five-day tour of South Korea, the QLC travelers met with various policymakers, business leaders, academics and entrepreneurs. The discussions and tours provided participants with valuable insights into the success of South Korea’s SME sector, which accounts for 50 percent of the country’s GDP and almost 90 percent of its over employment rate.

“South Korea is a country with a remarkable track record of economic and human development,” Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, managing director and member of the QLC Board of Directors, said. “The QLC Rising Leaders engaged with experts on how to harness entrepreneurship and innovation to grow SMEs.”