Injaz Qatar, a non-profit organisation and member of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide celebrated the conclusion of Mubadara 2017, the Annual Young Enterprise of the Year Competition at the Hamad bin  Khalifa Student Center. Showcasing ongoing support to young entrepreneurs, Mubadara 2017 was hosted under the patronage of Salah Bin Ghanim Al Ali, Minister of Culture and Sports.

The Best Company of the Year award sponsored by ExxonMobil was presented to Vend Machine from Qatar University and Parky from Al Kawthar Secondary School for Girls. The Most Innovative Product/Service award was sponsored by Hamad Bin Khalifa University and was presented to Notati  from Qatar University and Awsal from Awsaj Academy. The Best Marketing Plan award sponsored by Muntajat was presented to Kinecto from Qatar University and to Roznam from Al Bayan Education Complex.

Alistair Routledge, President and General Manager for ExxonMobil Qatar, said that INJAZ Qatar’s Annual Young Enterprise of the Year Competition is a space where young entrepreneurs with idea build a team and work to turn it into reality.

We work closely with local education partners like INJAZ Qatar to support programmes that develop human capabilities, particularly among our youth. By providing young people with the tools and means to achieve their full potential, we’re helping fulfil Qatar’s vision of a thriving, knowledge-based society that can achieve a more prosperous and sustainable future for Qatar.

Mubadara 2017 is a competition for student enterprises established through Junior Achievement’s globally recognised Company Program™. Student teams were offered the opportunity to establish and run a real business for over five months under the guidance of professionals from leading businesses across Qatar.

Innovation and entrepreneurship are integral parts of the academic experience, and critical components of student learning, says Maryam Al Mannai, Vice-president of Student Affairs at Hamad Bin Khalifa University.

The University is committed to facilitating new ideas through breakthrough research and promoting an entrepreneurial culture, empowering our students to thrive in and outside the classroom. We are proud to play a role in shaping tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs, by supporting Mubadara 2017.’

The winner from Qatar University was also awarded a seed funding of QR35,000 from Boeing to help support their enterprise, in addition to ongoing support and Incubation Award from Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC). The Best Social Impact Award was won by RRB from Al Resala Independent School for Girls and Vitality from Carnegie Mellon University.

Bernard Dunn, president of Boeing Middle East, North Africa and Turkey said that educating and inspiring young people across the region is a critical focus for Boeing in the Middle East.

Governments are looking to diversification and economic sustainability, and our partnership with INJAZ in Qatar and across the region will help develop the future entrepreneurs that bring to life this long-term strategy. This programme gives young Qatari entrepreneurs the perfect catalyst to turn their ideas into reality.’

Both winning teams of the Best Student Company Award will represent Qatar at the Regional INJAZ Al-Arab Young Enterprise of the Year Competition in Egypt this November to compete against other teams from 14 different countries in the MENA region.

This year’s Mubadara Award Ceremony sponsors are: ExxonMobil as Platinum Sponsor, Hamad Bin Khalifa University as Gold Sponsor and Muntajat as Silver Sponsor. Boeing is the strategic partner for the Start-Up programme, while QBIC is the Incubation partner who will host the winner. Ooredoo and Blue Salon provided gifts for the winning teams and volunteers.

Visit injaz-qatar.org for more information about the annual Mubadara Award.