Microsoft has announced its support as technology sponsor for Batelco’s Startup Weekend Bahrain 2012 for the second consecutive year, as part of its commitment to help local developers and startup entrepreneurs.

The event which will take place from November 8 to 10 at the Batelco Staff Centre in Hamala, will further encourage young aspiring entrepreneurs and assist them on the road to establishing successful ICT and e-business enterprises, a statement from Microsoft Bahrain said.

“Microsoft Bahrain and Oman has a firm belief in the true potential of Bahrain’s youth; last year’s event was a success and we are delighted to help bring Startup Weekend back to the Kingdom,” said Tareq Hijazi, regional country manager for Microsoft Bahrain and Oman.

“We are happy to boost startups by sharing with them our expertise and know-how, and provide them the opportunity to access our Microsoft BizSpark global program that helps software startups succeed by giving them access to software development tools, connecting them with key industry players, and providing marketing visibility.”

Microsoft will also host a Windows 8 Developer Training Day on November 7, to introduce developers (IT professionals, User Interface designers and students) to its newly launched Windows 8 and teach them about the design and development tools to help them build great applications using Windows 8.

The training session will be conducted by Eduardo Ortiga, Windows 8 technical evangelist at Microsoft Gulf and Esam Ali, account technology strategist at Microsoft Bahrain, the statement said.

Startup Weekends are weekend-long, hands-on experiences where entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can find out if startup ideas are viable.  On average, half of Startup Weekend’s attendees have technical backgrounds, the other half have business, marketing or non-technical backgrounds.

Throughout the weekend, Racha Diwan, marketing manager for Microsoft Bahrain and Oman, will be part of the mentor’s team to give the contestants advice, support and answer questions to help the teams develop their ideas into a viable business plan.

On November 9, the teams will present their prototypes and receive valuable feedback from a panel of experts, including Hijazi, who will select the winning ideas. The top three teams will receive cash prizes and follow up support to help them launch their ventures.

“We extend our great appreciation to Microsoft for their support to help us deliver such a worthwhile event that will undoubtedly benefit all the aspiring entrepreneurs who take part,” said Batelco Group general manager of media relations, Ahmed Al Janahi. – TradeArabia News Service