INJAZ Bahrain has successfully concluded its highly successful 15th annual Young Entrepreneurs Competition (YEC), which was held at Gulf Hotel Bahrain, Manama on July 9-10, 2023. Under the esteemed patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chairperson of INJAZ Bahrain, the competition brought together 120 students from 10 high schools and 10 universities across Bahrain.
The event witnessed remarkable entrepreneurial spirit as students showcased their innovative ideas and business acumen, vying for prestigious titles such as “University Company of the Year 2023” and “High School Company of the Year 2023”. Additionally, awards were presented for “University Product of the Year 2023”, “High School Product of the Year 2023”, “University Company for Best Social Impact 2023”, and “High School Company for Best Social Impact 2023”, recognizing the outstanding contributions of the participating student companies.
This year, the competition also introduced six signature awards to highlight exceptional achievements. These include the “Best Booth and Brand Award” by Al Salam Bank, “Innovation Award” by BBK, “Excellence in Technology Award” by Bapco, “Excellence in ESG Award” by NBB, “Best Financial Performance Award” by Tamkeen and “Rising CEO Award” by Khaleeji. The event was sponsored by Boeing and Tamkeen as platinum sponsors, Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA) and Batelco as gold sponsors, Al Salam Bank, Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK), Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), Khaleeji and National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) as signature sponsors.
Distinguished individuals served as judges in both the High School Track and the University Track, including representatives from prominent organizations including Mr. Ahmed Al Sharaf from “Tamkeen”, Ms. Lulwa Al Merbati from “Batelco”, Ms. Dalya Al Ansari from “ila Bank” and Mr. Abdulla Janahi from “Bahrain Airport Company” in the High School Track; Mr. Jassim Darwish from “GPIC”, Mr. Khaled Mersal from “ALBA”, Mr. Nidal Al Basha from “AWS” and Ms. Fatima Haider from “Zain Bahrain” in the University Track.
INJAZ Bahrain also hosted signature awards judges; Mr. Mahmood Qannati from “Al Salam Bank”, Mr. Hasan Asad from “Bapco”, Mr. Mohamed Al Rayes from “BBK”, Mr. Subah Al Zayani, Mr. Ahmed Burashid, Ms. Ameera Al Abbasi and Mr. Abdulkarim Al Zakari from “Khaleeji”, Mr. Abdulrahim Abdulhameed, Ms. Deena Kowhari and Ms. Reema Fekri from “NBB” and Ms. Sara Adel from “Tamkeen”.
Spotlighting Bahrain’s brightest entrepreneurs, this year’s winners included:
“N3ma” from “American School of Bahrain” won the “High School Company of the Year 2023”, and “Fornature” from “Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance” won “University Company of the Year 2023”.
“WYAK” from “Modern Knowledge Schools” won the “High School Product of the Year 2023”, and “JusTap” from “British University of Bahrain” was presented with “University Product of the Year 2023” Award.
“Numu” from “Ibn Khuldoon National School” won the “High School Best Social Impact Award 2023”, and “Fuss” from “University of Bahrain” was presented with “University Best Social Impact Award 2023”.
“Sangal” from “Al Falah Schools” won the “Best Booth and Brand Award” sponsored by Al Salam Bank.
“Street Pump” from “Jidhafs Secondary Technical Boys School” won the “Innovation Award” sponsored by BBK.
“WYAK” from “Modern Knowledge Schools” won the “Excellence in Technology Award” sponsored by Bapco.
“JusTap” from “British University of Bahrain” won the “Excellence in Environmental Social Governance Award” sponsored by NBB.
“Rethink” from “American University of Bahrain” won the “Best Financial Performance Award” sponsored by Tamkeen.
“Zain Al Madani” from “Ibn Khuldoon National School” won the “Khaleeji Rising CEO Award” sponsored by Khaleeji.
H.H. Sh. Hessa Bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chairperson of INJAZ Bahrain, praised the organization as a leading force in supporting Bahraini youth on their entrepreneurial journeys. She applauded the success of the 15th edition of the annual competition, stating, “INJAZ Bahrain is dedicated to empowering young people, providing them with a platform to unleash their creativity and innovation, fostering a knowledge-based economy through our partnerships and programs. We are deeply grateful for the unwavering dedication and steadfast support of our esteemed partners, sponsors, volunteers, educators, staff, and alumni, who have been instrumental in fulfilling our mission. Their unwavering commitment has played a pivotal role in empowering young individuals, unleashing their creativity and innovation, and fostering a knowledge-based economy through our collaborative partnerships and programs. We extend our sincere congratulations to the winning teams and wish them our best wishes at the upcoming regional competition.”
The competition united teams from all across the Kingdom, presenting their entrepreneurial ideas and solutions, showcasing their remarkable ability to add value to various sectors, and overcoming both present and future challenges. The winners of the 2023 “Company of the Year” competition will proudly represent Bahrain in the annual regional Young Entrepreneurs competition organized by INJAZ Al Arab which will be held in October 2023.