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Digital Transformation is overturning enterprises internationally and the retail sector, once resistance to waves of disruption, is now colossal weight following the rise of e-commerce. Beside guidelines that are not especially positive for online organizations, the Qatar population is skeptical of online shopping due to poor buying experience in the past, concerns about the online payment and delivery deficiencies.

Online Explosion

The online expansion will become a necessity to meet customers evolving demands and to stay significant in a changing market environment. Bricks and mortar players can't fulfill new customer needs in the future, especially in Qatar. This prompts extensive travel to shopping centers which are frequently stuffed and hard to shop with kids.

Around three-fourths of online shoppers are 18 to 34 years old and they mostly purchase household and electric goods.Qatar’s online retail market is still in the embryonic stage. It has only barely penetrated the online retail market.

Qatar’s Vision

Qatar Development Bank was established to grow Qatar’s private sector and diversify its economy. Now, Qatar Development Bank is a centerpiece to achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030. Qatar Development Bank worked with a large number of Qatari entrepreneurs and enterprises, providing financial and non-financial support to both fresh startups a well-established as well as SME’s. In the days to come, embracing our national responsibility. QDB will continue to empower the nation’s citizens to take advantage of the most recent flood of economic globalization and evolve Qatar’s economy.

Qatar Development came up with an initiative to bring the small and medium-sized enterprises online, and this is where we came in. We've designed and developed a multi-vendor ecommerce website MATAJERCOM for Qatar Development Bank, which is a free platform for small to medium-sized enterprises to establish and drive their products.

They had one thing in mind, and that was to improve the national economic development cycle by providing local entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized ventures with a wide range of financial & non-financial, promotional, developmental, and advisory products under one roof.

Under the initiative, micro-business owners can utilize the services offered by different entities to grow their business and create an impact on the overall economic development of Qatar. The initiative empowers business owners to access information and resources, to develop and sustain their businesses.

The following support was provided by QDB to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises :

  • Direct and indirect financing, with a special emphasis on local businesses operating in industries, deemed vital for Qatar’s diversification push, namely: manufacturing, healthcare, education, tourism, agricultural, livestock, fishing, and services sectors.
  • Business support through the provision of initiatives and services associated with real estate development and housing loans to citizens.
  • Enhancement of technical skills and capability.
  • Promotion of Qatari exports.
  • Provision of matchmaking opportunities domestically and globally.

Benefits

Some of the benefits of the e-commerce site provided initiated by QDB were :

  • Availability of subsidized services and benefits through QDB and initiative partners to grow the business.
  • Access to an online portal to upload and sell products.
  • Large audience reach.
  • Increased access to retailing networks to sell the businesses products in established supermarkets and other retail stores/outlets.

THE TAKEAWAY

Micro businesses are the engines of growth for Qatar’s business community. Operating a business at home has its perks - flexibility and convenience. Existing and potential micro-business owners can maximize their chance of success by registering with the initiative and availing the benefits associated with it. QDB along with its partners help micro-businesses to achieve this objective.