Bank of Palestine sponsored the Palestinian Family Business Conference in Nablus, organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry- Nablus. The conference, under the “Family business concerns” title, focused on two main topics: the reality of and challenges faced by family businesses, and the options available for family businesses. Among the speakers were officials, businessmen, and family business owners from the West bank, Gaza, 1948 lands and the Diaspora. The participants in the conference included private sector companies and representatives, family business owners, heads of commerce chambers, government officials, academics, lawyers and auditing firms.
Hashim Shawa, Chairman and General Manager of Bank of Palestine, stated that BoP’s sponsoring of this conference is part of the bank’s vision to develop the Palestinian economy, given that family businesses are an important part of the economy. About 98% of private sector institutions in Palestine are family businesses, employing 45% of Palestine’s private sector employees.