Khalifa Fund & Hope Ventures Bring 3rd Season of ‘Beban’ to UAE

Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED) has joined forces with Hope Ventures, a Bahrain-based organisation, to expand the popular reality television show ‘Beban’ in the United Arab Emirates for its third season.

This partnership comes after Beban's successful second season in the UAE, where it played a crucial role in facilitating investments and strategic opportunities for local businesses. Over the course of two seasons, Beban featured 62 businesses of varying sizes and stages, resulting in over $6 million raised in funding for GCC-based startups from both private and public sectors.

Beban follows entrepreneurs and business owners who pitch their ventures to a panel of regional investors in hopes of securing equity investment and valuable business prospects. The show's expansion aligns with KFED's mission of fostering a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in the UAE and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through financing and service options.

As part of the Beban journey, entrepreneurs selected for the show will undergo an intensive training bootcamp where they will receive guidance in areas such as expansion planning, financial modelling, and pitching their ideas to a panel of regional investors on the televised show. This comprehensive training program will equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to develop their businesses and seize growth opportunities.

Entrepreneurs interested in participating in the 3rd season of Beban can submit their applications online at Hope Ventures’ website until July 6th. The selection process will involve five stages, including screening for viability, evaluation by industry experts, participation in an intensive training bootcamp, and the final announcement of eligible finalists who will then proceed to film the show's episodes.