Fifth annual Enterprise Challenge Qatar winners crowned

A total of 46 teams from 40 schools and six universities in Qatar competed in the grand final competition of Enterprise Challenge Qatar 2017, held under the patronage of HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi.

Among the schools, Newton International Academy claimed first 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 was awarded third place.

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar claimed the first prize among competing universities and took home QR20,000 to fund their business idea. Second place was awarded to College of the North Atlantic - Qatar with Qatar University finishing third.

Enterprise Challenge Qatar, running now for five consecutive years, 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 and pointed out that entrepreneurship plays a vital rule towards training and equipping the younger generations to establish their own business ventures in the future.

Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa, CEO of Qatar Development Bank and chairman of Bedaya Center, said: “Fostering entrepreneurship is a critical part of developing a diverse economy in Qatar, and at Bedaya we believe that by encouraging young people to consider entrepreneurship, Enterprise Challenge Qatar will help create and sustain a thriving private sector.”

Preparation for this year’s competition was launched in September 2016, reaching out to more than 1,200 students from schools and universities across Qatar. Since its inception in 2012, more than 3,500 students have participated.

Michiel Kool, managing director and chairman of Qatar Shell Companies, said: “Qatar Shell is very proud to celebrate the fifth year of Enterprise Challenge Qatar. Thousands of students across the country have participated during this time, making a tangible contribution to the future of entrepreneurship in Qatar."