Under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Chairman of the Waqf Isa bin Salman Educational Charity, the INJAZ Al-Arab, a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide (JA), today hosted an award ceremony to mark the 10th annual INJAZ Al-Arab Young Arab Entrepreneurs Competition.
The ceremony was attended by His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, on behalf of His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa highlighted the important role INJAZ Al-Arab played throughout the region in promoting entrepreneurial skills among youth, and praised the contestants’ dedication and commitment to strengthening their entrepreneurial and leadership skills by participating in the annual competition.
The event, which took place at the ART Rotana Hotel in Amwaj, saw 20 teams consisting of young Arab entrepreneurs from across the MENA region competing to obtain the prestigious titles of “University Company of the Year” and “School Company of the Year”, as well as several other awards.
- The University Company of the Year award was given to Watad from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
- The School Company of the Year award went to Roshena from the Kingdom of Bahrain.
- The University and High School Product of the Year awards were given to Ecoouifia from Morocco and Wasila from Egypt respectively.
- The Social Impact award was granted to Grow from Algeria for the University category and Jedmer from Tunisia for the High School category.
- The 2016 FedEx Access Award went to Bellora from Oman
- Citi Client Focus Award also went to to Roshena from the Kingdom of Bahrain
- The MBC Al Amal Best PSA of the Year Award was also won by Watad from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Speaking after the competition, the Executive Director of INJAZ Bahrain, Her Highness Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa said: “We are extremely proud of all the participating students from across the region for their hard work, dedication and creativity in adapting business concepts to real-life applications. Their efforts over the last six months have taken them a long way and they have demonstrated their capabilities in their presentations. We are especially proud that Bahrain was able to host the annual competition, for the first time, in its remarkable 10th anniversary. The INJAZ Al Arab’s National Company Program Competition has set a high bar for next year’s participants, and we are excited to see what the future holds for INJAZ’s students.”
The chairman of INJAZ Bahrain, Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery, added: “It has been an incredible experience to see these young students present their ingenious products and business propositions. The Kingdom of Bahrain has excelled in hosting such a spectacular event for the region. When we realize that over 60% of the jobs these young leaders will be doing in the future don’t even exist yet, you begin to understand the critical role INJAZ has in building opportunities. I believe that through INJAZ Bahrain, we have created a solid and valuable springboard that will equip young minds to take on the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.”
Commenting on the conclusion of the event, the President and CEO of JA, Akef Akarabwi, said “At the end of each YEC we find ourselves overwhelmed with positivity & hope and this year was no exception. The enthusiasm, confidence, optimism, and youthful entrepreneurial abilities demonstrated at the event reassured us that our vision is flourishing and as alive as ever. Thank you to all who made our journey prosperous and enlightening, and to all of the thriving youth that dedicated their entrepreneurial wits towards inventing, revolutionising and advancing the future. May we continue to empower & educate our youth as we embrace and work towards our path to 1 million students annually by 2022.”
The regional competition was conducted in partnership with a wide range of organisations, including GPIC, Tamkeen, EDB, Banagas, Bapco, Batelco, MBC Al Amal, Citi Foundation, FedEx, Ithmaar Bank, Alba, Gulf Air, Khaleeji Commercial Bank, Al Salam Bank, Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, Bahrain Ministry of Education, Sadiq Transport and Bahrain Airport Company.
The annual INJAZ Al-Arab Young Arab Entrepreneurs Competition follows the completion of individual country rounds and closes six months of training in work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship based on INJAZ Al-Arab’s internationally acclaimed Company Program©. A total of 20 teams from Bahrain, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Pakistan showcased their business insight, financial knowledge, marketing support and feasibility studies to the esteemed panel of judges: Mr. Ramzi Abdel Jaber (InvestCorp Bank), Mr. Fadhel Alansari (Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC)), Dr. Abdul Malek Al Jaber (Peppers & Rogers Group (Teletech)), Ms. Mariam Farag (MBC Group), Mr. Bashar Al Khadhi (H+K Strategies), Mr. Mazen Manaa (Credit Agricole CIB), Dr. Abdulla Bader Al Sada (Tamkeen), Mr. Sjoerd Leenart (JP Morgan), Mr. Neeraj Agrawal (Crescent Group), Mr. Omar Bennis (Coca-Cola), Ms. Nadera Abuali (Citi Bank), Mr. Mohammad Zhort, (FedEx), Mr. Kamal Najjar (FedEx).