INJAZ Bahrain successfully concluded the sixteenth annual competition for young entrepreneurs at the Gulf Hotel Bahrain. The competition, which was held under the patronage of Her Highness Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of INJAZ Bahrain, showcased the entrepreneurial talents of more than 300 contestants from various high schools and universities in Bahrain.
This year’s competition witnessed record participation, with more than 940 students, both male and female, participating during the stages of the company’s program. Among the participants, 475 male and female students excelled in passing the Entrepreneurship Skills Program (ESP), highlighting the impact of INJAZ Bahrain’s programs on students. It is worth noting that graduates of the ESP program will be provided with additional opportunities, such as assuming the responsibility of CEO on the ground, scholarships, vocational training, and social skills acquisition courses at KPMG, in line with the organization’s vision of preparing Bahraini youth. To succeed in the global economy.
The competition lasted for two days, starting with assessments and ending with an inspiring speech and awards ceremony by Her Highness Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of INJAZ Bahrain. The competition witnessed competition between the teams for twelve main awards from different categories, including the Best Social Impact Award, the Best Product of the Year 2024, and the Best Company of the Year 2024, at the high school and university levels.
This year, the competition also included six distinguished awards in recognition of exceptional achievements: “Best Corner and Brand Award” from Al Salam Bank, “Innovation Award” from Yousef Khalil Almoayyed & Sons Company, and “Excellence in Technology Award” from Amazon Web Services (AWS). The “Excellence Award in Environmental and Social Governance” from Bapco Energies, the “Best Financial Performance Award” from the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, and the “Rising CEO Award” from the Bahrain National Insurance Company (BNI).
Many major companies and institutions in the Kingdom of Bahrain contributed to sponsoring the competition, including Boeing and Tamkeen as the Platinum Category sponsors, Aluminum Bahrain (Alba) and Batelco as the Gold Category sponsors.
The judging panel included Mr. Ahmed Al-Sharaf from Tamkeen, Mr. Ahmed Bahr from Alba, Mr. Khaled Abdullah from Bapco Energies, and Ms. Amal Al-Rayes from Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain for the secondary school category. Mr. Ahmed Abdel Ghani from the Economic Development Board, Mr. Jassim Darwish from the Gulf Petrochemical Industry Company (GPIC), Sheikh Khalifa Al Khalifa from the Pune Company, and Ms. Maha Jumaa from HSBC for the university category.
INJAZ Bahrain also hosted the distinguished awards jury; Mr. Mahmoud Kanawati from Al Salam Bank, Mr. Nidal Al-Basha from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Ms. Tahani Hussein from “Bapco Energies”, Ms. Zainab Al-Halwaji from “Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait”, Ms. Iman Majali, Mr. Rayan Al-Mahmoud, and Mr. Ammar Al Rayes from Bahrain National Insurance Company and Mr. Faisal Al Asfoor from Yousef Khalil Almoayyed & Sons Company. Among this year’s winners are:
• “JOC” from Al-Hikma International School won the “Best Company in the High School Category for the Year 2024” award, and “JOC” from the British University of Bahrain won the “Best Company in the Universities Category” award.
• “Continue” Company from Ibn Khaldun National School won the “Best Product in the Secondary Schools Category for the year 2024” award, and “Farz” Company from the American University of Bahrain won the “Best Product in the Universities Category for the year 2024” award.
• “Tanaka” from Jabriya Industrial Secondary School won the “Best Social Impact Award from the Secondary Schools Category 2024,” and “Qashiko” from Bahrain Polytechnic won the “Best Social Impact Award from the Universities Category 2024.”
• “Jocom” from the British University of Bahrain won the “Best Corner and Brand” award sponsored by Al Salam Bank.
• “Smart Flow” from “Jidhafs Industrial Secondary School for Boys” won the “Excellence in Technology” award sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
• “Qashiko” from Bahrain Polytechnic won the “Excellence in Environmental and Social Governance” award sponsored by Bapco Energies.
• “Farez” from the “American University of Bahrain” won the “Best Financial Performance” award sponsored by the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait.
• Habiba Maher, CEO of Faraz Company, from the American University of Bahrain, won the “Rising CEO Award” sponsored by Bahrain National Insurance (BNI).
• “Jocom” from the British University of Bahrain won the “Innovation Award” sponsored by Yousef Khalil Almoayyed & Sons Company.
After the outstanding success achieved by the sixteenth edition of the national competition this year, Her Highness Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of INJAZ Bahrain, confirmed, saying: INJAZ Bahrain is committed to supporting and empowering Bahraini youth and providing a platform to showcase their entrepreneurial ideas, thereby contributing to building… Advanced knowledge society. We are proud to support partners, sponsors, volunteers, teachers, staff, alumni, and everyone who contributes to achieving the organization’s vision. Their continued commitment is essential in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship among young participants, and we, in turn, congratulate the winners of this year’s competition and wish them further success in the next regional stage.
The winning teams of the “Best Company of the Year 2024” award from the high school and university categories will represent the Kingdom of Bahrain in the upcoming regional competition for young entrepreneurs organized by INJAZ Al-Arab, scheduled to be held in November 2024.
INJAZ Bahrain continues its leading role as an essential force in preparing the future of more than 150,000 young people annually, in more than 290 schools and 15 universities, thanks to the support of a diverse network of more than 11,000 volunteers. Through its comprehensive approach that combines financial literacy, work readiness, entrepreneurship, and digital culture, INJAZ Bahrain is committed to empowering future generations to be leaders in the fields of business and innovation.
