The Sharjah Center for Entrepreneurship “Sharaa” and the Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation for Education announced the winning teams in the first stage of the “Environmental Entrepreneurship” program, launched in collaboration with “Terra – Sustainability Pavilion” at Expo Dubai. The program aims to empower Emirati and Arab youth, enhance their entrepreneurial experiences, promote sustainability, and raise environmental awareness in the startup sector.
A financial grant of AED 125,000 was awarded to the top five teams that successfully completed the intensive training stage in the “Environmental Entrepreneurship” program, to support their preparations for the next stage of the program. The journey will continue for four months, focusing on transforming theoretical ideas into strong startups, with an emphasis on sustainability and environmental awareness.
The program selected five successful teams that demonstrated exceptional efforts in the first stage: “West Busters,” “Al Ain,” “Ecosat,” “Falaj,” and “Golden Roots.” Each startup presented their ideas to raise environmental awareness and enhance sustainable practices in waste management, agriculture, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and environmental monitoring.
The “West Busters” team plans to launch an application using a points and incentive system to reduce food waste at home. On the other hand, the “Al Ain” team commits to introducing a smart irrigation system that uses solar energy to modernize traditional agricultural practices. As for the “Ecosat” team, they employ artificial intelligence technology to monitor and measure air pollution. Regarding the “Falaj” team, their focus is on sustainable agricultural practices and striving for green landscapes. Lastly, the “Golden Roots” team aims to assist farmers in increasing soil fertility.
The participating teams in the program compete for a grant of AED 275,000, awarded to them in two stages. The first grant of AED 125,000 is presented to the five teams that completed the intensive training stage successfully. The second grant, amounting to AED 150,000, is awarded to the three winning teams from the “Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation for Education” to support the establishment of their startups in Sharjah during the COP28 business pitching competition.
The program received a high number of applicants, with over 1000 enrollment requests. During the intensive training stage held over ten days at Expo Dubai, the hosting partner, the program provided a supportive environment that enriched innovation, critical thinking, and creativity for the participants who were accepted after evaluation, totaling 150 individuals aged 18 to 35 from 10 universities. Among these youth, their countries were represented by the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen.
Najla Al Midfa, the CEO of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center “Sharaa,” stated, “Innovation thrives when combined with purpose and goal through the Environmental Entrepreneurship program. We strive to enhance purposeful innovation that serves in shaping the global future. We, at Sharaa, believe in the strength of youth and their ability to turn ideas into impactful projects, drive economic activity, and positive environmental change. Through strategic collaboration with the Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation for Education and the unification of entrepreneurship and environmental awareness, we contribute to enriching startups and developing a comprehensive movement to address our era’s challenges.”
Dr. Sonia Ben Jaafar, the CEO of the Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, said, “The entrepreneurial landscape is evolving rapidly, which propels us in our institution to enhance our efforts in providing innovative solutions.” Dr. Ben Jaafar emphasized that the UAE emphasizes green education partnerships to build a sustainable future, driving us to strengthen our sustainable alliances like our partnership with “Sharaa” to enhance our technological efforts and empower the next generation to find sustainable solutions.”
SheThe head of education and culture at Expo Dubai, Marjan Faridouni, emphasized that raising awareness about environmental responsibility and developing ideas to tackle environmental challenges is a fundamental aspect of our work at Expo Dubai. The Environmental Entrepreneurship Program embodies the power of collaboration and collective effort, and we look forward to seeing the results of the five selected projects, observing their development, and seeing them transformed into practical and impactful solutions. In the second phase, the program activities will move to Sharjah, where the five teams will embark on an intensive six-week journey to delve into business models, marketing strategies, laws, and other opportunities. Sail and the Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation for Education aim to empower innovators who did not advance to the second stage “pre-acceleration” to benefit from the program’s knowledge and resources. The “Startup Blueprint” digital plan designated for them aims to provide them with an opportunity for continuous development over eight weeks to enhance their ideas and progress in the entrepreneurial world at a pace that suits them.
