Tribune News Network
Doha
Injaz Qatar, a non-profit organization and a member of the Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide, celebrated the 16th edition of Injaz Al Arab’s "Young Entrepreneurship Celebration” in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
The celebration, which marked a return to in-person events following two years of virtual programming, was organised in partnership with the Federal Youth Authority. It also brought to the spotlight the achievements of students who participated and won the National Company Program Competition in their respective countries.
The competition saw 80 students from across 12 countries compete for awards following a rigorous period of mentorship and programming. This year’s teams were mentored by industry experts from across Boeing, FedEx, Mastercard, InvestCorp, the Project Management Institute and Citi Foundation, exploring in depth skills sessions across design thinking, innovation, growth and development, customer service and business strategy, and deepening their understanding on a wide spectrum of business concepts.
Following the judging process, the coveted ‘Company of the Year’ university prize was awarded to Injaz Qatar - team "Homey” which consists of students Latifa Al Naimi and Maria Mina from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, and Jana Elbanna from Qatar University. Homey is an application that connects the home business owners with the customers who want to buy from these home-based businesses. To save people’s time, money, and effort, Homey brings all the home businesses (i.e., food, clothing, jewellery and embroidery) under one platform to provide their services to customers who wants to buy them. The high school edition of the prize was awarded to "Join Me” from Injaz, UAE.
Sheikha Hanadi Nasser Al Thani, the Chairperson of Injaz Qatar and Injaz Al Arab, said: "Congratulations to our high school and university students from the State of Qatar for winning three awards and for the university team on seizing the ‘Best Company of the Year’ prize at JA-INJAZ Al Arab Young Entrepreneurship Celebration 2022. We are extremely proud for reaching this stage. These competitions enhance their skills and motivate them to create an influential society in entrepreneurship. This win is an expression of our vision in empowering a promising future generation of leaders and entrepreneurs in the State of Qatar. "
Akef Aqrabawi, President and CEO, Injaz Al Arab, said: "Year after year, we continue to see incredible innovation and creativity driven by today’s youth, and this year’s participants are no exception. We are proud to be celebrating the 2022 winners of the Injaz Al-Arab Young Entrepreneurs Competition, and to witness the continued impact of our programmes in empowering our future. Thank you to our students, volunteers, partners, and judges for yet another successful edition of the Young Entrepreneurs Competition, and we look forward to what’s to come as we work together for the future of our youth and the region.”
Additional awards included two more prizes to Injaz Qatar that was presented to team "Homey”, the ‘InvestCorp Value Creation’ Award. The ‘Boeing Business Challenge’ Award won by team "GoForFit” that includes students Ubaida Al Aani and Fatima Marafiya from Michael E DeBakey High School For Health Professions.
Launched in 2007, the Injaz Al-Arab Youth Entrepreneurship Celebration is the culmination of six months of rigorous experiential learning and application for students across the MENA region who have won the internationally acclaimed Injaz National Company Program.