UAE Education Minister Honours Winners Of National Entrepreneurship Challenge

Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, honoured the 15 winners of the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) Entrepreneurship Challenge at a ceremony held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event saw attendance from Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Adviser to the UAE President and Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), alongside senior officials from various sectors.

Dr. Al Falasi commended the winners for their innovative ideas and practical initiatives. He stated, "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 further added, "It was inspiring to see so many youths and students participate in the Challenge, showcasing diverse projects across various sectors. This reflects their wide-ranging passions and ability to design promising initiatives. We at the Ministry of Education are committed to building on this initiative's success and continuing to support youth entrepreneurship."

During the ceremony, Dr. Al Falasi honoured United Arab Emirates University, Higher Colleges of Technology, and Rabdan Academy for their active roles in making the Challenge a success. A total of 3,617 individuals registered on the initiative’s e-platform, with 321 projects and entrepreneurial ideas evaluated across multiple stages by a specialist jury.

From these entries, 37 projects were selected for the final stage. Ultimately, 15 winning projects were awarded prizes worth up to AED2 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.

The ‘Letswork’ project won first place in the Startups category while ‘7MD store’ took first place in the SMEs category in the Existing Entrepreneur track. In the Aspiring Entrepreneur track, ‘Mawaad’ won first place in Business Innovation, ‘Space.TYAR’ in AI and Advanced Technologies, and ‘Limb’ in Tomorrow's Pioneers.

Entrepreneurship Festival

Prior to the closing ceremony, the MoE organised the Entrepreneurship Festival aimed at enhancing entrepreneurial spirit among university students and graduates. More than 16 speakers and entrepreneurs participated in this event which featured educational and entertaining activities tailored for all segments of society.

The festival included four interactive workshops, seven entrepreneurial dialogues, three creative competitions with valuable prizes, a photo station, and three popular Emirati restaurants. The event showcased an interactive entrepreneurial journey through seven areas starting from 'Discovery' to 'Success'.

Interactive Zones

The journey began in the 'Discovery' zone where entrepreneurs' passions were identified. This was followed by the 'Idea' zone designed by AI tools focusing on idea generation. The 'Action' zone then focused on turning ideas into practical projects.

The ’First Customer’ zone allowed visitors to experience entrepreneurs earning their first returns. The ‘First Bump’ zone highlighted initial challenges faced by entrepreneurial projects. In the ‘Failure’ zone, visitors encountered setbacks often faced by entrepreneurs before ending their journey in the ‘Success’ zone.

Graduate Fund Initiative

The Entrepreneurship Challenge is part of the Graduate Fund initiative powered by the MoE. Launched to enhance the entrepreneurial landscape, it aims to foster initiative, innovation, and competitiveness among youth, empowering them to realise their ambitions.

With inputs from WAM