High school and university students in the region are set to compete for the ‘Best Student Company of the Year’ award in Kuwait next month.

The seventh annual Injaz Al-Arab Young Arab Entrepreneurs Competition will take place from December 2 to 4, It is being hosted by Injaz Kuwait, a member of Injaz Al-Arab, under the patronage of Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and in collaboration with Ministry of State for Youth Affairs.

Participants will include high school and university students teaming up and representing a total of 14 countries including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen.

The judging criteria includes a review of financial and management reports created by the students on the real life challenges of running a business in addition to a presentation on their product innovation. The judging panel will comprise eight senior managers representing large corporations.

The students will battle it out for seven awards including the ‘Best Student Company of the Year 2013 Award,’ sponsored by Gulf Bank. Other awards include the Student Company with the Best Social Impact, the Most Innovative Product sponsored by Zain, and the FedEx Access Award.

Soraya Salti, Injaz Al-Arab regional director, said: “The annual competition is considered to be one of the biggest and most exciting events which Injaz conducts throughout the year, we are proudly gathering students from all over the Mena region, to educate them, offer them a practical training to compete for one of the largest competitions around the region. Through this competition, students get exposed to the real-life processes for establishing a business in a safe environment, build their confidence and enhance their personal skills and develop their talents."

Sheikha Al-Zain Sabah Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs, stated:  “We always believe that entrepreneurs are exceptional characters, as they create jobs, support and build communities. Therefore, entrepreneurial spirit can make the world a better place, so we encourage it and are proud to have a role in mentoring today’s youth so that they may develop the right skills to enter a competitive workforce.” - TradeArabia News Service