Winners of QDB’s “Al-Fikra” competition for startups during a recently-held gala dinner.
Qatar Development Bank (QDB) has announced the winning teams of the fourth edition of the “Al-Fikra” competition for start-ups during a gala dinner held recently at the Marriott Marquis Hotel Doha.
The Al-Fikra competition was launched in September, in partnership with a number of influential economic and educational institutions and companies in Qatar such as Sasol and ExxonMobil Qatar.
Other partners like Qatar University and Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar provided all the academic support for the contestants, while Qatar Business Incubation Centre (QBIC) and Bedaya Centre organised the competition.
The jury, composed of seven members from academia, the business community, and QDB officials, spent three months evaluating each idea presented by the entrepreneurs. There were 200 Qatari entrepreneurs divided into 75 teams with each team presenting one idea.
QDB chief executive officer Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa said: “The competition this year showed a great drive for innovation, which demonstrates the ability of Qatari entrepreneurs to understand the market needs and its mechanisms.
“This success motivates us to enhance our support to entrepreneurs in Qatar and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in particular. Ideas we heard during the presentations is what will drive our national economy forward.”
The first place winner is Ahmed al-Meer, who presented the Blue Marine Farm idea, while in the second place is Nasser al-Jaber, who presented the idea Pivot Solutions. In third place is Ali al-Kaabi for the Gulf Studio idea, and the fourth place winner is Fatma al-Khater for the Smart Lend idea, while Mubarak al-Khulaifi’s team came in fifth place and presented Football Playgrounds Reservations.
Al-Meer said: “We want to thank Qatar Development Bank and the companies which made this competition possible for their trust and faith in our ideas and ability to innovate for the benefit of our society.”
Phinda Vilakazi, president of GTL Ventures at Sasol, said, “Entrepreneurs are the engines of innovation, efficiency, and job growth. Sasol is pleased to be main sponsor of this competition, a proving ground for Qatar’s future economic leaders. Qatar is a shining example of where ambitious ideas are put into action and made reality.”
Simon Younger, acting president and general manager for ExxonMobil Qatar, added: “We believe one of the greatest contributions ExxonMobil Qatar can make is to provide the energy to drive human potential in support of a skilled and productive workforce that can sustain Qatar’s future.
“Such a workforce is the key to a sustainable, knowledge-based economy, as outlined in the Qatar National Vision 2030. We’re committed to supporting capacity building initiatives at every link in the chain, from primary school through to the boardroom.”
During the gala dinner, George White, a distinguished career professor from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and the founder of the Al Fikra competition, received an appreciation award for his efforts and contribution in creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurship in Qatar.
