INJAZ Qatar hosts Mubadara 2012, the 5th Annual Young Enterprise of the Year competition Seven student-led companies battle for a chance to compete at the regional MENA competition Doha, Qatar, 20 May 2012 – As part of its commitment to the human development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030, INJAZ Qatar, a non-profit organization and affiliate of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide, celebrated the success of Mubadara, the 5th Annual Young Enterprise of the Year competition on Saturday 19th May, 2012 at Katara. Aysha Al Mudehki, Executive Director of INJAZ Qatar, said in her opening speech, “We aim to inspire and prepare tomorrow’s business leaders, our Company Program™ equips students with the skills they need to become successful entrepreneurs. We have seen dedication, good planning, innovation and commitment with all the seven participating teams. We would like to thank our volunteers, companies, schools, teachers, and partners who have made this program a huge success.” The Award Ceremony was presided over by Mr. Ashraf Abu Issa, INJAZ Qatar founding Board Member, Chairman of Abu Issa Holding and winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2011. This award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs for their vision, innovation, courage and leadership in building and growing successful businesses. Ashraf Abu Issa, INJAZ Qatar founding Board Member and Chairman of Abu Issa Holding said: “We must set an example for the youth of Qatar, inspire them to excel, and place emphasis on enhancing creativity. This year we saw a group of extremely talented and motivated young individuals who presented creative, viable products to the judging panel. Seeing the potential of these young students fills me with great hope for the future of Qatar.” He continued: “Mubadara is testament to INJAZ’s commitment to the principles of market-based economics and entrepreneurship. Participants of the Company Program™ spent months preparing for Mubadara which took place at Katara. The event was hosted by Mohammad Al-Hayder, Founder of Takallam for Training and Development, and accredited Co-Active Coach. Nihal Al- Saleh, a volunteer from Qatar Shell GTL, mentored Notebooki from Amna Bint Wahab Secondary School for Girls, “It is important to sew the entrepreneurial seed in a booming environment like Qatar in order to prepare the future generations. INJAZ Qatar is truly setting a standard in achieving that in Qatar.” Invenio, a ringer to help people locate valuables such as wallets and keys from Omar Bin Khattab Independent Secondary School for Boys won the ‘Best Student Company’ and ‘Best Public Presentation’ awards. Harmony Rayyan Company; a contemporary henna t-shirt design company from Al Rayyan Independent Secondary School for Girls won the “Best Marketing Plan.” Hadeel Tariq the Vice President of Production from Harmony Rayyan Company was awarded “Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year.” Ishaq Burney and Maryam Mohamed, volunteers from Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority mentored Harmony Rayyan Company. “The girls were extremely creative and innovative in their approach. The biggest challenge I faced was teaching them to conduct business in a process and planning driven environment. However the students surprised us with how quickly they picked up the concepts,” said Burney. “The students at Al Rayyan Girls School have developed tremendously over the past few months and it was extremely fulfilling to contribute to the growth of each student, building their confidence and helping them overcome their fears in order to achieve their goals,” added Maryam Mohamed. The Company Program™ competition is held annually in more than 100 Junior Achievement countries around the world. Students are required to identify a product, research its market value, develop a sales strategy and launch it in the market, demonstrating excellent financial and economic skills, corporate management and cooperation. Invenio from Omar Bin Khattab Independent Secondary School for Boys will compete in September at the regional competition in Abu Dhabi against the winning teams of 13 MENA countries. - ILQ news -

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