Reinforcing its support for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) development in Oman, Ooredoo has kicked off a brand-new online educational programme, FURSA. Established in partnership with the Oman Academy for SMEs and Business Skills Simulations, it aims to generate and nurture small businesses in the digital sector that can potentially add value to the telecommunications industry. Conducted fully online, participants are given a customised simulation of starting and running a company that equips them to start their company effectively. Part of Ooredoo’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, Ooredoo Goodwill, FURSA is aimed at combating unemployment and filling gaps in the Omani economy by promoting entrepreneurship.
Feras bin Abdullah Al Shaikh, Director of Branding and Communications at Ooredoo, said, “It is always part of Ooredoo’s commitment to support SMEs, which form a key pillar of the Sultanate’s economic advancement. We’re glad that, even in the time of COVID-19, we are able to find ways to continue to help them remotely. The FURSA programme is one way we are trying to find solutions for job seekers, to empower them to create a job for themselves rather than looking for one, and to help small enterprises in the digital sector that support telecommunications. By participating, aspiring business owners will get some vital experience before they take their ideas out into the real world.”
Sheikh Salah Al Mawali, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Academy for SME’s, added, “We are thrilled to be able to offer a programme like FURSA that seeks to qualify young people, nurture a spirit of competition, and stimulate creativity and innovation. Through such endeavours, and with the support of companies like Ooredoo, we are fostering the Sultanate’s young people and encouraging their valuable contribution to society.”
Supporting SMEs in the modern, digital world and empowering Oman’s thriving entrepreneurial community is a core part of Ooredoo’s CSR efforts. A leader in the Sultanate’s digital transformation, its similar initiatives include the popular Springboard and Spring Forward programmes, as well as incubators for women.