Forty-six teams from 40 schools and six universities in Qatar competed in the Enterprise Challenge Qatar 2017 Grand Finals competition on 5 March at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC). The event was held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr Mohammed bin Abdul Wahed Al Hamadi, Minister of Education and Higher Education.
The Enterprise Challenge Qatar, running now for five consecutive years, is an annual competition that seeks to promote and inspire the entrepreneurial spirit among young people in Qatar. The competition consists of three parts: the ethical business challenge, which tests participants’ ability to balance the economic, environmental and social performance of their company; a business simulation element, which familiarises students with general business such as finance, sales, and production; and the business pitch, in which participants present their ideas to a panel of judges from the business community in Qatar.
Fawzia Al Khater, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, conveyed her continued support for the programme.
Entrepreneurship plays a vital role toward training and equipping the younger generations establish their business ventures in the future. This in turn will lead to new employment opportunities and support the state’s drive into diversifying sources of income and transforming to a prosperous and viable knowledge-based economy.’
Winners were recognised during an awards ceremony.
Newton International Academy claimed first prize, competing with 40 independent and international high schools in Qatar. The wining team took home a prize of QR10,000 to fund their business idea and its implementation. Second place was awarded to Qatar Banking Studies and Business Administration School, while Al Rabaa Al Adawiya School were awarded third place.
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar claimed first prize among competing universities at the grand final competition. The winning team took home a prize of QAR 20,000 to fund their business idea. Second place was awarded to College of North Atlantic Qatar with Qatar University finishing third.
Preparation for this year’s competition was launched in September 2016, reaching out to more than 1,200 students from schools and universities from across Qatar. Since its inception in 2012, more than 3,500 students have participated.
The ‘Enterprise Challenge’ competition was created by Prince’s Trust International, a UK-based not-for-profit organisation established by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, with a range of mentoring programmes aimed at fostering opportunities for young people. Qatar Shell is the founding partner of Prince’s Trust International in Qatar and together with Bedaya, has worked to bring the ‘Enterprise Challenge’ to Qatar.
Visit shell.com.qa for more information about the ‘Enterprise Challenge’ competition.
