Doha: A majority of Qataris prefer to work for companies instead of being self-employed, according to a survey.
Some 50 percent of the Qataris surveyed by Bayt.com have said that they would choose to be employees, and a majority among them said that they would prefer to work in the private sector.
Four in 10 respondents (42 percent) said that, if given the choice, they would explore the possibilities of entrepreneurship.
One of the main reasons identified for choosing to work for a company was because many said they would be able to learn new skills and techniques under different companies.
The regular income offered by a salaried job (32 percent), and fixed working hours (28 percent) was also identified as strong motivations.
For those in Qatar who would prefer to pursue an entrepreneurial career path, the number one reason was personal fulfilment (50 percent), followed by the freedom to choose their own work-life balance (43 percent) and the ability to give back to the community (43 percent).
Half (45 percent) of the respondents who are employed in the public or private sector in Qatar are thinking of starting their own businesses, while 22 percent have tried to start one in the past but failed to do so.
Three in 10 (30 percent) Qatar respondents claim that it is ‘somewhat difficult’ to set up a new business in Qatar, with strict government rules and regulations (55 percent) being the leading hindrance in doing so. The unavailability of finance is also seen as difficult to overcome.
Five in 10 (45 percent) respondents in Qatar state that the best time to start your own business is mid-career, though 33 percent claim that ‘any time’ is the right time, with ‘don’t be afraid of failure’ considered by the majority (39 percent) to be the best advice to give to an entrepreneur.
In Qatar, the architecture and engineering industry is seen to be the most appealing for entrepreneurship by 20 percent, followed by advertising, marketing and public relations (14 percent) and hospitality and leisure (14 percent).
When asked what they perceive to be the top three things that would concern them if they were to set up their own business, the majority of Qatar respondents chose ‘procuring finances to start’ (56 percent), ‘needing to establish the ‘right’ contacts (or ‘wasta’)’ (42 percent), and ‘uncertainty of profit and income’ (36 percent).
Qatar respondents agree that their education has helped them develop an entrepreneurial attitude (72 percent), acquire the necessary skills and know-how to become an entrepreneur and understand the role entrepreneurs play in society (66 percent), as well as got them interested in becoming an entrepreneur (65 percent).
“It would seem there are issues standing in the way of people becoming self-employed,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com.
“With finance being the number one problem across the Middle East, it suggests that the region needs more angel investors to step in and help local entrepreneurs; it might also be of benefit for authorities to reconsider their policies, as less stringent regulations could encourage the creation of more start-ups.”
“It is in the interest of every Middle Eastern country to encourage more entrepreneurial ventures, as they are beneficial in myriad ways to the economy – they contribute to the GDP and create job opportunities,” said Sundip Chahal, CEO, YouGov.
Data for the Bayt.com Entrepreneurship in the Middle East survey was collected online from September 1 to 15 2013, with 8,776 respondents from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.
The Peninsula
