Come October 1, and Facebook will kick off an exclusive set of events and workshops at “Facebook MENA | Tech Week” to celebrate the region’s thriving startup ecosystem. The three-day event will be hosted at the Beirut Digital District (BDD) where industry stakeholders including startups, SMEs, developers, and women entrepreneurs will get together to participate in a wide range of activities. The third and final day of the event is set for TechCrunch’s famed Startup Battlefield competition (MENA chapter). Widely recognized as one of the most renowned and impactful startup competitions globally, Startup Battlefield is making its first appearance in the region this year. Speaking of the vision behind the forthcoming event, Ari Kesisoglu, vice president for Middle East, Africa & Turkey at Facebook, said: “Technology is giving people new opportunities to become entrepreneurs and content creators, and at Facebook our mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. Businesses and creators have a unique opportunity for growth in connecting with 181M monthly active Facebook users in the Middle East and North Africa and we want to help them do that by providing the right training and programs.”

He further stated that “Facebook MENA | Tech Week is not just about inspiring and celebrating MENA’s fast-rising startup ecosystem. It’s also about connecting, listening to, and learning from the community.”

Key attractions of the event include Women in Technology Panel, Women in Technology training, SMB Training 101 workshop, Celebration of Lebanese Tech training and networking event, #SheMeansBusiness training, #SheMeansBusiness Panel, and TechCrunch Startup Battlefield MENA.