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Doha, Qatar; May 3, 2023: The Doha Film Institute (DFI) inspired promising contemporary creatives to turn their passion into a career in its recent entrepreneurship workshop for artists at Geekdom, the country’s largest pop-culture event organised by DFI.

The workshop provided the creative artists practical skills to understand the intricacies of managing a small and medium enterprise in Doha, and strategies for managing sustainable growth. Ahmad Al-Sayegh, Senior Entrepreneurs Engagement Advisor, provided in-depth training on the business regulations in the country and the differences between various licenses. Participants produced a Business Model Canvas to support growth at any stage.

The participating Qatari creative professionals had showcased their projects at Geekdom to visitors’ acclaim more recently during the last edition that took place in 2022. The artists and future entrepreneurs also learned how to scale up businesses and convert creative ideas into winning business proposals, and how to conduct outreach for their work.

Abdulla Jassim Al-Mosallam, Chief Administrative Officer of Doha Film Institute, said: “Geekdom has evolved as one of the most impactful platforms for exceptionally talented creative professionals and vendors who are strengthening the diverse economy of Qatar. The success of Geekdom has sparked the growth of a pop culture industry in Qatar, with the opening of new animation studios, pop-culture focused stores, video game developers and Esports organizers. It is exciting to see our promising young talent inspired to forge meaningful careers that showcase their passion and potential, and we are proud to be able to support them through such workshops that add value to their growth story. The continued success of Geekdom highlights the enormous economic potential for a strong creative ecosystem, and we are extremely grateful for the wonderful collaboration with Ahmed Al-Sayegh on the event.”

Qatar offers a dynamic environment for small and medium enterprises (SME) to thrive, with numerous policies in place that support growth. Today, 97 per cent of registered private sector companies in Qatar are SMEs, and they contribute over 16 per cent to the national gross domestic product outside of resource-based industries. The country is also investing in the establishment of a strong creative economy, which the Doha Film Institute is a major contributor to through its diverse initiatives.

Geekdom, launched by DFI in 2013, has evolved to become Qatar’s largest one-of-a-kind pop culture event ofering the community in Qatar unique opportunities for diverse new ways to connect with motion arts and visual storytelling (Art, Film, Music, Video games, Animation and Television). Geekdom has established itself as a cross-generational, communal interactive creative space for people of all ages that supports the development of a diverse range of content creators.