While we are fasting and feasting during Ramadan, entrepreneurs in the Gulf have been busy launching new products and portals, attending workshops and making moves to establish lasting partnerships with like-minded businesses overseas. Read on for a round-up of some of the biggest stories in entrepreneurship this month.

Dubai Entrepreneurs in the Spotlight: Baking and Banking

If everybody loves your mother’s cooking, why not encourage her to go into business with it? That is the story behind the success of Sahar Abu Aisha, the Emirati mother-turned-baker who successfully launched Gourmandise. “With my children’s encouragement, I took my talent of making sweets further and decided to start my own business,” Ms. Abu Aisha told Gulf News this month. Ms. Abu Aisha started her business three years ago, filling orders for family and friends in her home kitchen. Gourmandise now plans to expand into Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Read Ms. Abu Aisha’ story here.

Ambareen Musa is out to demystify banking in Dubai. Ms. Musa the the founder and CEO of Souqalmal.com, a website created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. The website features jargon-free comparisons for mortgages, car loans, bank loans. “It is like a trip advisor for the banking industry,” Ms. Musa told Siobhan Leyland of Dubai Eye radio. “We are building an online community for users to get advice from other users.” Listen to Ms. Musa’s interview here.

More Support for Gulf Entrepreneurs

Omani small business owners are about to make a lot of new friends. Following an agreement between the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce and..., the two nations will work together to develop a mentorship program between small business owners in the United States and Oman. The partnership program is part of a plan to launch an Oman-U.S. Joint Business Council. Other aims of the council are to support start-ups and promote job creation. You can read more about the project here.

The Dubai SME continued its ongoing support of small business owner..., wrapping up a series of workshops designed to help local SMEs. The workshops focused on customer service and innovative project management techniques. Courses are open to members of Dubai SME and will resume in September. To find out more about Dubai SME courses, contact the Training Department here.

Stay tuned to Shelter.ae for stories on entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Dubai and the region!

- Mary Ames
Educational Programs Manager//Shelter Dubai

Image available under CC License by Salim Al-Harthy