Business

His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, honored the 15 winners of the Ministry of Education (MoE)’s Entrepreneurship Challenge during a ceremony at the Dubai World Trade Centre. This inaugural initiative, organized under the Graduate Fund, is aimed at fostering entrepreneurial spirit and innovation among university students and graduates in the UAE.

The event was graced by His Excellency Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to His Highness the President of the UAE, and Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University, along with senior officials from various education, economic, and entrepreneurship entities across the UAE, as well as numerous students and young entrepreneurs.

Dr. Al Falasi praised the winners for their innovative ideas and practical initiatives, stating, “We launched the Entrepreneurship Challenge with a future-focused vision for the UAE to become the world’s most competitive country, driven by its people’s contributions. Youth and entrepreneurial mindsets are vital for transforming challenges into opportunities, driving growth, stability, and prosperity.”

He emphasized the crucial role of applied and practical education in preparing mature, creative, and exceptional future generations, highlighting the Ministry’s commitment to supporting youth entrepreneurship.

The challenge saw 3,617 registrations on its e-platform, with 321 projects and entrepreneurial ideas evaluated across multiple stages. From these, 37 projects reached the final stage, and 15 were awarded prizes worth up to AED 2 million. The winners were divided into two tracks: Aspiring Entrepreneur and Existing Entrepreneur, and five categories: Startups, SMEs, Business Innovation, AI and Advanced Technologies, and Tomorrow's Pioneers.

Notable winners included the ‘Letswork’ project in the Startups category and the ‘7MD store’ project in the SMEs category for the Existing Entrepreneur track. In the Aspiring Entrepreneur track, ‘Mawaad’ won in Business Innovation, ‘Space.TYAR‘ in AI and Advanced Technologies, and ‘Limb’ in Tomorrow's Pioneers.

Dr. Al Falasi also honored the United Arab Emirates University, Higher Colleges of Technology, and Rabdan Academy for their significant contributions to the challenge's success.

Preceding the award ceremony, the MoE organized the Entrepreneurship Festival, the first event of its kind aimed at enhancing the entrepreneurial spirit among university students and graduates. The festival featured educational and entertaining events, including interactive workshops, entrepreneurial dialogues, creative competitions, and a showcase of the entrepreneurial journey through various thematic zones.

The Entrepreneurship Challenge, the first initiative of the Graduate Fund powered by the MoE, aims to bolster the entrepreneurial landscape in the UAE by fostering initiative, innovation, and competitiveness among youth, empowering them to realize their ambitions.

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