Dhamar: The activities of the First Forum for Empowering and Developing Small Projects, organized by the National Committee for Women in partnership with the General Investment Authority and funded by the General Authority for the Development of Small and Micro Projects, were launched today in Dhamar Governorate.
According to Yemen News Agency, the three-day forum, held under the slogan "Towards Decent Livelihoods and Sustainable Economic Empowerment," includes the conclusion of the technical support project for small projects, an introductory workshop on the investment environment for small projects and investment incentives according to the 2025 Investment Law, a presentation of the financing portfolio experience, and the holding of an exhibition for small and micro projects.
During the launch, attended by the Governorate Undersecretary for the Development Sector, Ali Atef, the Governorate Undersecretary, Mahmoud Al-Jabin, praised the efforts of the Small and Micro Projects Development Authority, the National Committee for Women, and the Investment Authority in enhancing the efforts of productive families and encouraging various segments of society to adopt small income-generating projects.
He stressed the importance of holding such events aimed at enhancing local production and consolidating the principle of self-reliance, noting the importance of translating the leadership's directives regarding supporting local products and gradually dispensing with imported products, and proceeding according to the slogan of the martyr President Saleh Al-Sammad, "A hand that protects and a hand that builds," as an approach that combines protecting the homeland, building its economy, and enhancing its productive capabilities.
For his part, the head of the General Authority for the Development of Small and Micro Projects, Ahmed Al-Kabsi, stressed the importance of enhancing economic empowerment and integrating efforts among various parties to achieve economic development goals and support small and micro projects.
He pointed out that the victories achieved require working to achieve similar achievements on the economic front, contributing to enabling citizens to live in pride and dignity, affirming that the current stage requires establishing an "economic army" that includes various segments of society, and working in an integrated manner to achieve the aspirations of the Yemeni people and the leadership's directions.
Al-Kabsi noted that economic empowerment is not the responsibility of a particular party or authority, but a shared responsibility requiring the integration of efforts between the Authority, the local authority, the education sector, the Ministry of Economy, and other parties, affirming the importance of employing educational outputs and directing them to serve the national economy and support small and micro projects.
He explained that the Authority began its intervention in Dhamar Governorate with study and training, leading to financing, community participation, and marketing, indicating that educational outputs have effectively contributed to developing small and micro projects in the governorate, and that project owners are today crowning their efforts with visual identities and products capable of competing.
For her part, the head of the National Committee for Women, Dr. Ghada Abu Talib, explained the importance of unifying efforts and coordination among various parties to make small and micro projects successful, noting that individual work leads to failure, while integration and coordination contribute to achieving tangible results in various paths of construction, empowerment, and qualification.
She affirmed the Committee's keenness to contribute to providing an incubating environment for projects and entities working in the field of economic empowerment, and to transfer successful experiences to various governorates.
She considered women's empowerment and supporting the national economy among the important paths that require integrating and unifying efforts, affirming that the current stage requires serious and organized movement to achieve development and enhance community resilience.
Meanwhile, the director of the branch of the General Investment Authority in the governorate, Mohammed Rawiyah, stressed the importance of the forum in supporting local producers, enhancing self-sufficiency, localizing industries and crafts, and introducing Investment Law No. (3) of 2025 and the guarantees, incentives, and exemptions it includes for investors and small and micro projects.
He pointed out that the law aims to create an attractive and stimulating investment environment, contribute to building a diversified and sustainable national economy, support small and micro projects, stimulate projects related to local production requirements, increase production, and reduce the import bill to achieve self-sufficiency, along with protecting local production, developing exports, and improving the balance of payments.
Rawiyah mentioned that the law gave special attention to small and micro projects whose investment cost does not exceed $100,000, by granting them a package of incentives and advantages encouraging investment and production.
For her part, the head of the Women's Committee branch in the governorate, Dr. Ashwaq Al-Mahdi, explained that the forum includes a number of activities aimed at supporting and empowering owners of small and micro projects, and enhancing marketing and investment opportunities for local products.
She indicated that the activities include the conclusion of the technical support project for small projects, which lasted two months and targeted 68 male and female students from the Graphics Department, to prepare the integrated visual identity for 20 small projects and local products, along with presenting success stories of the empowerment portfolio, which provides white loans to support small projects funded by the Small and Micro Projects Development Authority.
Al-Mahdi explained that the forum also includes the launch of an introductory workshop on the investment environment and investment incentives according to the 2025 Investment Law, a presentation of the financing portfolio experience, and the holding of an exhibition for the products of about 50 small and micro projects.
At the launch, attended by the Vice President of Dhamar University for Student Affairs, Dr. AbdulKafi Al-Rifai, college deans, and leaders of a number of executive offices, a report was presented on the technical support project, which moved the student from the qualification stage to providing a real output for the small project, along with displaying models of impressions from owners of projects benefiting from technical support.
On the sidelines of the forum, the two governorate undersecretaries, Ali Atef and Mahmoud Al-Jabin, accompanied by the head of the Small and Micro Projects Development Authority, Ahmed Al-Kabsi, and the head of the National Committee, Dr. Ghada Abu Talib, opened the small projects exhibition.
They heard from those in charge of the exhibition an explanation about what it contains of models of products from 50 small and micro projects, within the outputs of the technical support project for small and micro projects implemented by the Committee's branch during the past period.
