- 12th edition of competition aligned to touch’s Corporate Sustainability program, Positive touch, with a focus on youth and development
- Partners to the pre-eminent startup competition include Community Jameel, World Bank Group, Careem, and Beirut Digital District
- Competition prizes exceed US$160,000; final award ceremony set to take place in Beirut on April, 2019
Beirut 4 October, 2018: touch, the leading mobile telecommunications and data operator in Lebanon, managed by Zain Group, announced the launch of the 12th edition of the MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition, spearheaded by the MIT Enterprise Forum (MITEF) Pan Arab. During a press conference held at Le Gray Hotel in Beirut, details of the annual competition designed to support and celebrate startups in the Arab world were given, including an update on the US$160,000 worth of prizes on offer.
The press event was held in the presence of His Excellency Minister of Telecommunications Jamal Al-Jarrah; Emre Gurkan, Chief Executive Officer of touch; Saroj Kumar Jha, Regional Director for the Mashreq at World Bank Group; and Hala Fadel, Chairperson of MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab, in addition to regional and local media outlets. A panel discussion comprising of Emre Gurkan, Hala Fadel, Saroj Jha, and Mouhamad Rabah of Beirut Digital District was hosted during the press conference and covered issues related to nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship in Lebanon.
touch is a long-standing supporter of innovators in Lebanon and of the competition itself, having earlier this year launched the touch Innovation Program (TIP) to raise the profile of entrepreneurs and support their endeavors.
Additional partners to this year’s MITEF Arab Startup Competition include Community Jameel, a social enterprise organization that operates a wide range of initiatives that promote and contribute towards positive social change and economic sustainability. World Bank Group also supports the initiative, with the competition being held in collaboration with Beirut Digital District (BDD), a built community dedicated to creating a hub for the digital and creative industries in Lebanon, and Roland Berger, a global strategy consulting firm headquartered in Munich. Careem, a leading ride-hailing app in MENA also supports the competition.
touch’s Chief Executive Officer, Emre Gurkan commented, “As a key provider of ICT solutions in Lebanon cooperating closely with the Telecom Ministry, it is our responsibility to develop the startup ecosystem domestically and elevate Lebanon to becoming a leading digital innovator in the region. Our partnership with MITEF stems from Zain Group’s digital lifestyle strategy and is aligned with our Corporate Sustainability Program, “Positive touch”, which also supports the United Nations Sustainability Development Goal number nine, focused on the development of industry, innovation and infrastructure.”
The MITEF Arab Startup Competition has evolved into an annual event and is considered a platform that allows young entrepreneurs across the Middle East to showcase, test and develop their creative and innovative ideas. Each year, the competition incorporates three tracks: The Ideas track, the Startups track and the Social Entrepreneurship track, with cumulative cash prizes amounting to US$160,000. The teams that qualify for the semi-finals will participate in a series of preparatory activities that include training sessions, mentorship, coaching, and workshops.
In the final stages of the competition, the most promising teams will be crowned winners (three from each of the tracks).
Commenting on the launch of the Arab Startup Competition, Hala Fadel, Chair of the board of MITEF Pan Arab said: “The Arab Startup Competition, our flagship program, is a unique platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their business model and to build large networks in and outside of the Arab region. Throughout the last twelve years, we have seen a growing Arab startup scene, with an increasing number of entrepreneurs applying for this particular competition, who not only want to launch a business but who want to stand out from the crowd. I am confident we will receive many more top-tier applicants this year! Thanks to Community Jameel, our longtime partner, and other strategic partners over the years, we offer Arab entrepreneurs, through this program, cash prizes, learning tools to move forward, and entry point to investors and other supporters.”
The MITEF Arab Startup Competition will conclude with an event organized over the course of three days in April 2019 where the winners will be announced in an official awards ceremony.
Registration for the competition opened on September 24 on the competition’s official website, and will remain open until December 20, 2018.
For more information regarding registration to this year’s MITEF Arab Startup Competition, eligibility, and judging criteria, as well as schedule of roadshows, please visit: www.mitarabcompetition.com
About touch
touch is the leading mobile operator in Lebanon, managed by Zain Group, the pioneering mobile and data services operator in the Middle East and Africa. In the last ten years of operations under Zain’s management, touch has had many success stories, providing cutting-edge services and technology to its consumers.
Drawing from Zain’s regional expertise providing telecommunication and mobile data services to 50 million users, touch has devised and adopted a consumer-centric strategy. touch’s range of services and its telecom and 3.9G as well as 4.5G Advanced coverage of all Lebanese territories has allowed it to gain a 54% wireless telecommunication market share in Lebanon. touch employs specialized and competent Lebanese personnel that aims to provide the latest in telecommunication services and products to the local community to help it grow in a more sustainable way.
touch, with the backing of Zain and its cooperation with the Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications, dedicates all its resources to keeping up with the latest in telecom and mobile data. It offers a 24/7 call center service to cater to the need of its customers for uninterrupted connection.
About MITEF Pan Arab:
Founded in 2005, the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Pan Arab Region (www.mitefarab.org) is one of the 28 worldwide chapters of the MIT Enterprise Forum Global, an avid promoter of entrepreneurship and innovation worldwide. The MIT Enterprise Forum- Pan Arab has a proven record in promoting MIT-style entrepreneurship by organizing each year the MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition targeting 21 countries of the Arab region and attracting over 12,000 entrepreneurs a year.
About Community Jameel:
Established in 2003, Community Jameel is a social enterprise organization that operates a wide range of initiatives to promote a positive society and economic sustainability. From individual, community and Arab life as a whole, in Saudi Arabia and beyond, Community Jameel promotes Arab arts and culture in the Middle East and around the world, works against unemployment, enables research for poverty alleviation and food and water security, and provides education and training opportunities.
Community Jameel supports and partners with global institutions, which employ hundreds of people, all aiming to provide people with opportunities and training in the following areas:
- Job Creation – Bab Rizq Jameel
- Arts and Culture – Art Jameel
- Global Poverty Alleviation
- Food and Water Security
- Education and Training
- Health and Social
About World Bank:
The World Bank Group (WBG) is one of the world’s leading source of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It comprises five institutions. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and International Development Agency are commonly known as the World Bank. The other sister institutions are: International Finance Corporation, WBG’s private sector arm; Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency; and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. These WBG institutions share a common commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.