Dr. Amal Al-Jowder Discusses Mental Health of Entrepreneurs at the 2026 world Entrepreneurship and Investment Forum
Dr. Amal Al-Jowder Discusses Mental Health of Entrepreneurs at the 2026 world Entrepreneurship and Investment Forum
Dr. Amal Al-Jowder, Senior Health Promotion Expert at the Investment and Technology Promotion Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), participated as special intervention at the 2026 World Entrepreneurship and Investment Forum (WEIF 2026), held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre from February 10-11. She highlighted the importance of mental health for entrepreneurs and the psychological challenges they face in competitive and changing work environments.
Dr. Al-Jowder emphasized that entrepreneurship environment is unique, combining both risk and protective factors. She explained that the risk factors include the multiple roles of the entrepreneur, long working hours, uncertainty, and the highly competition inherent in the entrepreneurial system. Conversely, she pointed out that the psychological protection factors for entrepreneur’s stem from the connection between their projects and their life’s mission and personal values, creating a strong link between work and purpose. Entrepreneurs also benefit from complete autonomy in decision-making without waiting for administrative approvals, along with intrinsic motivation and the ability to transform failure into an opportunity for learning and growth.
Al-Jowder explained that psychological pressures for entrepreneurs often arise from the belief that their internal and external resources are insufficient compared to the project’s demands, emphasizing the importance of possessing practical tools to manage these pressures.
In this context, Dr. Amal Al-Jowder outlined five fundamental strategies for dealing with psychological pressures, all beginning with the letter “A”: Avoiding all avoidable sources of pressure; Alter all that can be changed; Adapting to what cannot be changed; Accepting what is beyond one’s control; and finally, adopting a holistic, healthy lifestyle that includes sleep, proper nutrition, exercise, effective time and priority management, learning from mistakes, and strengthening social relationships with family and friends, while focusing on living in the present. The session concluded by emphasizing that promoting the mental health of entrepreneurs is no longer a luxury, but a fundamental element to ensure the sustainability of projects and the success of entrepreneurship ecosystems at both the local and international levels.
