After two successful seasons, the entrepreneurship-themed reality show ‘Beban,’ produced by Hope Ventures, the investment arm of Hope Fund, premieres the first episode of its highly anticipated third season on January 3rd, 2024, on Bahrain TV, AlRai TV, and the region’s first and largest video-on-demand platform ‘Shahid.’
Beban Season 3 was filmed in the Middle East’s newest exhibition and convention centre, Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB), and showcases 41 businesses from across the MENA region as they pitch in front of a panel of regional investors for the opportunity to secure equity investment and strategic business opportunities that can accelerate the growth of their businesses.
With the premiere of the new season, Beban TV show became the GCC’s first-ever private-public investment platform, having partnered with the GCC’s public and private sectors represented by Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (UAE), the SME Development Authority (Oman), GFH Capital (KSA), Zain Kuwait and Sabah Al Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity (Kuwait), and the Labour Fund Tamkeen (Bahrain). Through the partnerships forged, Beban has become the first platform that provides entrepreneurs the opportunity to connect with regional investors to secure investment and gain access to new markets with the knowledge and expertise of incoming investors. This contributes to the partners' objective of creating a borderless flow of investment opportunities across the region.
The show will comprise 10 episodes to be aired weekly every Wednesday starting January 3rd on Bahrain TV, AlRai TV, and Shahid at 6 PM (GMT+3). Each episode will feature 4 businesses from various sectors of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt.
Each episode comprises three investors representing the private sector, alongside His Excellency Aymen bin Tawfiq Almoayed, Chairman of Hope Fund, who will represent Hope Ventures on Beban.
Commenting on the occasion, Fajer Saleh Alpachachi, General Manager of Hope Ventures, the investment arm of Hope Fund and Producers of Beban TV Show, shared: "I am extremely thrilled to launch the third season of Beban in partnership with our regional peers from the public and private sectors. Their trust in this initiative further emphasizes the unified goal of governments to develop a seamless GCC investment platform that provides capital and business opportunities to budding business owners. Through Beban, we connect entrepreneurs with strategic investors who can open up new markets through their networks and expertise."
She further added: "Building on the success of its first two seasons, the show showcased over 60 shortlisted entrepreneurs received 350 hours of intensive business training to ensure their readiness to pitch on the show, and over USD 6m was raised, the new season of Beban will further feature regional deal flow across diversified sectors. We look forward to viewers tuning in and enjoying an exciting season."
On his part, Khaled Mahmood AlRayyes, Manager of Beban, commented: "Beban was created with the mission of synthesizing Hope for promising entrepreneurs with scalable businesses and global ambitions, in addition to providing solutions to some of the region’s biggest ecosystem challenges, which are access to capital, specialized training, and mentorship, as well as marketing and exposure beyond the businesses’ local borders. We are thrilled to be embarking on a new season of Beban, and we anticipate it being a catalyst that encourages the pursuit of entrepreneurship and propels businesses towards remarkable achievements."
Beban season 3 recognizes its sponsors, Gulf Air, Asia Jewellers, Ahlan App, AlZayani Motors, Exhibition World Bahrain, Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain, TRACCS Bahrain, Bapco energies, and Gulf Media International for their affirmed commitment to empowering regional entrepreneurs and accelerating their growth through investment, knowledge, and access to business opportunities.
Hope Ventures thanks His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Affairs and Youth Affairs, for His guidance and unwavering support that led to the creation and development of Beban, which contributes to the shaping of a robust, regional investment ecosystem.
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