Entrepreneurship in Lebanon is mainly centered around, Beirut, contrary to rural areas which cannot host big conferences, business accelerators or incubators, or ambitious financiers who wish to invest outside the capital, according to Al Akhbar newspaper. The latter drew attention to the former Chouf Entrepreneur Association which has expanded to become Rural Entrepreneurs, which, Al Akbar wrote, decided to change the equation by inviting all the above to rural regions in order to create a technical, legal and financial friendly environment for entrepreneurs in the area. Two years after its inception, the Chouf Association noticed that the hitches and obstacles confronting local entrepreneurs could be streamlined to all remote regions in the country for they face the same challenges. The first of these challenges, Al Akhbar observed, is that Beirut seizes the entire components of the system embracing knowledge-based economy, like incubators and accelerators, investment funds and business centers. The second key problem is that local capital, if accessible, is channeled to traditional businesses due to poor vision and access to the technological future. This, the newspaper went on to say, has eventually kept back investment in technology and in the commonplace mobile applications. Also, the parental pressure on their children to pursue classical career options presents another impediment to setting up incubators in rural neighborhoods. Based on this reality, Al Akhbar concluded, Rural Entrepreneurs sought to act as a bridge to major relevant events held in Beirut and as a small platform for larger regional initiatives. As such, it focused on 4 programs to achieve its objectives, notably: capacity building, promotion of rural entrepreneurship, support of SMEs and activation of the role of women in entrepreneurship. (Al Akhbar, June 22, 2017)
