Bedaya Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development, a joint initiative by Qatar Development Bank and Silatech, has participated in the 17th edition of Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition.
Held under the patronage of HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the exhibition took place recently at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC). 
Bedaya took part at ‘Heya 2020’ in two pavilions that included six startup fashion-related projects. Bedaya’s participation was in line with the centre’s continuous efforts to provide new platforms and avenues for promoting and selling products of entrepreneurial projects engaged in the fashion and haute couture industry. 
The five-day expo was successful in highlighting and encouraging local talents, in addition to focusing on female entrepreneurs and shedding light on their achievements.
Prior to the exhibition, Bedaya had announced the opening of registration through its website for fashion entrepreneurs keen to participate at the Heya exhibition at promotional prices. 
Guidelines for participation required products to be designed or manufactured in Qatar, the participating business must fall within the startup category, and should possess legal licenses. 
Furthermore, Bedaya created a specialised committee to evaluate and select candidates based on specific criteria depending on the quality of products and their suitability for the event. 
Bedaya also organised a panel discussion that saw discussions on how to elevate and develop businesses operating in the fashion industry. The panellists included Aysha Khalifa al-Romaihi, head of Strategic Initiatives and Business Collaborations at Qatar Business Incubation Centre, and Maha al-Sulaiti, acting director of the Msheireb Cultural Forum, who discussed the opportunities available to entrepreneurs in the fashion industry, and the various entities that would help entrepreneurs enrich their careers, in addition to the programmes available for fashion related projects and how to register for the required support.
Speaking about Bedaya’s participation at ‘Heya 2020’, Abdulla Faleh al-Saeed, board member and acting general manager of Bedaya, said:” We express our sincere gratitude to the National Tourism Council and the organisers of Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition for their invitation and support to facilitate the participation of a group of local startup businesses under the umbrella of Bedaya. 
“At Bedaya, we continuously strive to support startups with special attention to female entrepreneurs, which reflects the ability of Qatari women to enter the working market and their ability to compete in various sectors”.
He added: “Our participation in the 17th edition of Heya exhibition with six projects owned by female entrepreneurs provided a perfect platform to showcase their skills and abilities. 
“The expo was an opportunity for our participants to meet the aspirations of various segments of society by displaying their products in front of a large audience that was keen to be present to get acquainted with the most important fashion trends during the days of the exhibition.”