Entrepreneurship-themed reality television show, Beban, produced by Hope Ventures, the investment arm of Hope Fund, airs the ninth episode of its ongoing second season on March 1^st at 6 PM on Bahrain TV, 9:30 PM on Alrai TV and the region’s biggest video-on-demand platform, Shahid.

Beban season 2 is the first television show in the MENA region to be 100% powered by renewable energy through Hope Ventures’ partnership with The Oil and Gas Holding Company B.S.C (closed) (“nogaholding”) and the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA). The show was filmed in Al Areen Palace and Spa by Accor and is built around the premises of entrepreneurs pitching their businesses in front of a panel of regional investors for immediate investment and business opportunities.

Episode 9 hosted five entrepreneurs from the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates: ‘Plantshop,’ an e-commerce store selling plants & gardening products that digitizes the retail buying experience of potted plants and gardening, presented by co-founder Abdalatti Abuassi, ‘Localeyed’, a platform that provides localized stock images to agencies and corporates across the GCC, presented by co-founders Ali AlRiffai and Mohamed Ussama, ‘Verofax’, a company offering productivity & customer solutions by making products interactive, verifiable, analytical and digitally enabled, co-presented by co-founder Wassim Merheby, ‘My Abaaya’, an e-commerce platform offering different-occasion abayas, hijabs, and their accessories, founded by Batool Meelad, and ‘Oreem’, a one-stop delivery and shipping platform that connects businesses and individuals through local delivery companies, freight forwarders, and international courier service providers, presented by founder and CEO, Amjad Hasan and Strategy Manager Mohammed Alfardan.

These five businesses pitched before a panel of regional investors comprising Mr. Suhail Algosaibi, Chairman of Tenmou, Saudi angel investor Mr. Khalid AlMahfouz, and Ms. Mashael Fairooz, Founding Partner at JEO Capital Management. The panel was moderated by His Excellency Aymen bin Tawfiq Almoayed, Chairman of Hope Fund, representing Hope Ventures’ investments.

Khaled Alrayyes, Manager of Projects at Hope Ventures, shared: “Beban season 2 is sector agnostic, which means that it sheds light on promising businesses without limiting participation to one or more specific sectors. This episode is a great demonstration of that, as it features 5 businesses of diverse sectors as they pitch in front of a panel of regional investors for investment and strategic business development opportunities.”

Commenting on their sponsorship to empower Beban TV show,  Othman Hijazi – Deputy Group CEO of Corporate Banking at Ahli United Bank, said:  “We are excited about our continued partnership with Hope Fund and support for its Beban initiative, especially the episodes featuring a FinTech startup, something that lies at the core of AUB’s transformation strategy. We are eager to see the youth entering the scene, adding momentum, and exploring new possibilities. FinTech is one of several sectors projected to be major drivers of sustainable growth in the Kingdom, and when combined with an entrepreneurial spirit, it can solidify Bahrain’s position as a financial and technological hub in the region,” Othman Hijazi – Deputy Group CEO, Corporate Banking.

Beban Season 2 acknowledges its sponsors; The Oil and Gas Holding Company (nogaholding), Tamkeen Bahrain, Al Areen Palace & Spa by Accor, TRACCS, BEYON Money, Zain Bahrain, GMI, Ahli United Bank, Kuwait Finance House (Bahrain), The Benefit Company, Amakin, and Al Salam Bank for their affirmed commitment to empowering Bahraini entrepreneurs and accelerating their growth through investment, knowledge, and access to business opportunities.

Beban thanks episode 9 partners LocalBH for providing business opportunities to this episode’s entrepreneurs.

The last episode of Beban will air next Wednesday, March 8^th 2023, on Bahrain TV at 6 PM, and AlRai TV at 9:30 PM. You can also stream it at the time that works best for you on Shahid for free.

To stay up to date with all-things-Beban, make sure you follow the show’s accounts on social media @bebanme.