Kuwait: Zane announced support for the Australian Universities Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum entitled ‘Lead Your Future’. The event provided a unique space for university students to present their creative ideas and innovative business projects, empowering them to tap into the local entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Mr Zain attended the opening ceremony of the forum and was joined by Australian University President Issam Zabaraoui, Zain Kuwait Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Waleed Al Kashti, and Australian University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Manager Bashayer Al Khalifa. He attended the meeting along with Drs. and others from the university. Zain Kuwait Innovation & Entrepreneurship Team.
Zayn’s support for this forum stems from his strong belief that platforms like this play an important role in empowering and guiding young ambitious people towards shaping their own futures. By encouraging young people to pursue their business aspirations, they can confidently enter the local vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem, bring their ideas to life and ultimately turn them into profitable businesses. Leading to sustainable startups.
During the forum, Zain highlighted its efforts to support entrepreneurship, which began 14 years ago with the award-winning Zain Great Idea startup accelerator program. Since then, the program has helped accelerate hundreds of startups, many of which now own thriving businesses not only in the Kuwaiti market but across the region. In the past 24 months alone, startups that have participated in ZGI have raised over $17.6 million in investment.
Last year, ZGI received the E-Business Award from the prestigious Entrepreneur Middle East magazine. Zain’s program was named Ecosystem Enabler of the Year in recognition of the company’s growing commitment to accelerating the region’s technology startup ecosystem and empowering entrepreneurs in Kuwait and the region. Awarded.
Zane also strongly believes that innovation is at the heart of a startup’s success and that businesses cannot truly grow without fostering innovation. To this end, the company launched the Innovation Nation initiative, which encompasses all of Zain’s innovation and entrepreneurship programs, with a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The initiative targets youth and entrepreneurs and aims to develop a digitally competent generation with the skill sets needed in modern markets. Through Zain’s many fruitful collaborations with local, regional and international partners, Innovation Nation has delivered dozens of programs that upskill young people and prepare them for STEM careers and entrepreneurship. To date, approximately 6,000 young people have benefited from this initiative.
Under this initiative, Zain collaborates with the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science (KFAS) and the KFAS center, Sabah Al Ahmad Talent Creation Center (SACGC), to improve digital literacy among young people and foster creativity and innovation. We have entered into a partnership. Strengthen the local startup ecosystem. The partnership also aims to accelerate capacity development, upskill national talent in the private sector, grow research and development in innovation, enable social enterprises and empower local entrepreneurs.
Additionally, Zain and SACGC will become the official Kuwait country partner of the regional entrepreneurial reality show “Beban”, allowing Kuwaiti entrepreneurs to be included in the third season of the show, which will air in January 2024. We worked together for this purpose.
