Rahma Shanzour

Yemen — Participants in the Taiz Entrepreneurship Festival emphasized that the event provided an important platform to showcase their projects and products. They noted that the festival offered opportunities to engage with the public, expand their customer base, and highlighted the diversity of women’s entrepreneurial ideas and their ability to face economic challenges.

On Saturday, November 22, the city of Taiz launched the second edition of the Taiz Entrepreneurship Festival alongside the third edition of the startup projects exhibition. This event is considered one of the city’s most prominent youth and economic platforms. The four-day festival, running from morning until evening, combines training, entrepreneurship, and the showcasing of promising project providing youth, women, and initiative owners an open space to express their ideas and present innovative economic solutions amid the exceptional conditions facing the region.

On the sidelines of the festival, Kawthar Al-Sebai, Assistant Organizer of the Taiz Entrepreneurship Festival, explained that this year’s edition focuses on three main tracks aimed at expanding the festival and empowering youth. The first track targets training young volunteers: “This year, we are working with 100 young men and women, training and empowering them through the Taiz Entrepreneurship Festival system so they can actively participate in events and community initiatives. The second track focuses on startups and medium-sized projects, with 120 projects evaluated this year from various fields.”

She added, “This year, we also have diverse exhibition areas where projects can present their work, including a section for Yemeni products, a section for cultural projects, community initiatives, and a food and beverages section, all reflecting the variety of entrepreneurial ideas in Taiz.

Empowering Projects and Bringing Them to Light

Kawthar Al-Sebai explained that the festival’s third track is the open event, lasting four days and aimed at promoting an entrepreneurial culture in a community facing complex challenges. “At the Taiz Entrepreneurship Festival, we strive to send an important message about the value of entrepreneurship, especially in Yemen and Taiz. We work hard to bring entrepreneurial ideas and project owners out of the shadows and highlight them,” she said.

She emphasized that empowerment goes beyond simply providing a space to display products; it includes training and preparation. “We do not only provide a platform for showcasing, but we also train project owners and equip them with all the essential skills they need to launch and grow.”

The festival organizers aim to make this annual event a launching point for a more dynamic local economy. Regarding this goal, Al-Sebai stressed that they generally seek to promote an entrepreneurial culture within the community and showcase the role of youth and women in creating projects capable of growth, despite challenging circumstances.

 

Women’s Projects, New Ideas, and Recovery Energy for the Governorate

The current edition of the Taiz Entrepreneurship Festival provides a vibrant space to highlight women-led and entrepreneurial projects that have overcome local challenges and introduced innovative products meeting market needs. Within the festival halls, stories emerged of women whose determination and creativity drove them to establish and develop their projects, reaching wider audiences.

Amira Al-Humairi, owner of the “Amira Broder” beauty and care project, highlighted the importance of participating in the festival: “This festival gave us the opportunity for people to learn more about our products and expand our audience. It was a chance to reach a new customer segment.”

Sahar Ahmed, owner of “Biro Café,” said her participation aimed to showcase her team’s latest developments: “This is our third year in operation. My participation in the festival allowed us to present our new products and promote them. We are proud to have reached this stage,” noting that the festival provided an important platform to connect with the public, receive feedback, and evaluate new products before wider market release.

 

Economic and Social Recovery

Psychological consultant Amira Al-Sharqabi sees the festival as reflecting a recovery process in Taiz: “This event can be seen as part of Taiz’s recovery. It encourages youth and stimulates investment in the city. The festival hosts around 120 diverse projects, which is a positive indicator we all need.” She added that bringing such a number of projects together sends a message of hope that Taiz can gradually reclaim its economic and vital role.

 

A New Experience for Visitors

Visitor Malak Mohammed Al-Sharqi described her first participation in the festival as a remarkable experience, praising the organization and arrangement of the event: “I enjoyed seeing the new projects—some were amazing.” She noted that the diversity of displayed products reflects the youth’s awareness of quality and innovation, highlighting the festival’s value as a platform supporting entrepreneurial ideas.

Now in its third day, the Taiz Entrepreneurship Festival embodies the spirit of persistence held by the city’s youth and women, offering an effective model of the community’s ability to create spaces for economic and social recovery