Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and Syrian Computer Society Announce Winners of ‘Start’ Competition 

Winners Will Receive Support Totaling 1.5 Million Syrian Pounds  

Dubai, UAE – Homs, Syria: 14 February, 2010 - The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation today announced the 4 winners of the ‘Start’ competition it launched last year in cooperation with the Syrian Computer Society to promote technological innovation through ICT in the Arab World. 

The winners were announced at a ceremony in Homs attended by a high-level delegation from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation which included Adel Al Shared, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director and Sultan Lootah, Executive Director - Entrepreneurship Development. The ceremony was also attended by H.E. Salim Issa Alqtam Zaabi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in Syria, H.E. Dr. Gheyath Barakat, Syrian Minister of Higher Education and Dr. Rakan Razouk, Chairman of the ICT Incubator, Syrian Computer Society. 

The 4 winners were selected from a pool of 16 shortlisted applicants who will receive financial support from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoumand the Syrian Computer Society totaling 1.5 Million Syrian Pounds (around AED 120,000). They are: Mohammed Alababedi and Abdul Aziz Abbas who submitted a project to introduce Hotspot Gateways in companies, hotels and other establishments, Ihab Al Haraki who submitted a project to build a decision support system that enables companies with logistical requirements, and Khalil Al Khatib, Hussam Arnous and Obaida Sulaiman who submitted a project to introduce wireless internet technology and finally Ibrahim Al Kheimi for his project on virtual training and on-site training.  

Sultan Lootah said: “Developing entrepreneurship is extremely important to the Arab World. There is a large unexploited potential within the region’s youth that we, as socially responsible organizations, should help foster.” 

Out of the numerous submissions received, the 4 winners were chosen by a judging panel after careful selection by a committee that had studied each of the projects beforehand and selected 10 candidates from Damascus and 6 from Homs. The 4 winners chosen by the panel all demonstrated a high potential for fruition into successful investment projects.  

The 16 shortlisted applicants have all successfully completed a five-day training programme which offered a comprehensive agenda that aimed to develop the entrepreneurial skills of budding young entrepreneurs. The programme focused on five key topics including identifying success pillars, market and marketing, human resources, finance for non-financial managers, and drawing up a business plan. 

Dr. Razouk said: “Dr. Rakan Razouk said: “Helping start-ups in the ICT sector is one of the main objectives of the Syrian Computer Society. Our cooperation with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation has helped us reach a good level of maturity in establishing ICT incubators and we are looking forward to better cooperation from other entities that can help in supporting such initiatives.  

“We are willing to support creative ideas and new companies that can help in the development of the ICT sector in Syria and the region which will help in the overall economic development of the Arab World.” Dr. Razouk added. 

Launched by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and the Syrian Scientific Society, the ‘Start’ competition is part of the ‘Start’ programme launched in Syria. The programme is one of the initial outcomes of an action plan mandated by a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in June 2009 between the Foundation and the Syrian Scientific Society for Informatics to support entrepreneurship in Syria.