JEDDAH, 6 April 2005 — Small and medium business innovators took the spotlight recently as a prestigious UAE establishment honored their successes.
Gen. Sheikh Mohammed ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai and UAE defense minister, honored young business leaders who have come up with creative and successful new projects in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Awards for Young Business Leaders were presented at an evening ceremony at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry premises. Dignitaries, diplomats, and prominent businessmen and businesswomen attended the ceremony in which 22 awards were presented including six special awards. “Today’s world is full of stiff competition. Creativity and excellence is the only way to success,” said Hamdan ibn Mohammed Al-Maktoum, board chairman of the group. “The Mohammed bin Rashid Award for Young Business Leaders recognizes creativity and excellence that go into making a new projects successful.”
Hamdan noted that when the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders was formed less than three years ago, many wondered if there was a need for one more institution to fund and support small and medium enterprises. “Many asked if this concept could be implemented successfully in the UAE,” Hamdan said. “But from the beginning, we have been committed under the directives of Mohammed ibn Rashid to make the establishment more than just an institution to fund small and medium enterprises.”
Hamdan said the establishment has been successful in launching leading initiatives, which is reflected in the doubling of the number of its members. “We have succeeded in opening a new road for a new generation of businesswomen and businessmen who have the ability to access new successful opportunities depending on the services that our establishment offers,” Hamdan said. “It has catalyzed our youth toward more creativity, excellence and success in business ventures.”
Hamdan said since the awards were launched last year, that have achieved good results in a short time, encouraging winners to do better and hopefuls to aspire for the honor. “We hope that all the projects under the establishment will form the core of new major corporations of the future. We have full confidence in our youth’s abilities in achieving these strategic aims,” he said.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Award for Young Business Leaders has received not only a high number of entries, but their quality and competitive strengths are also of a high caliber. Mohammed ibn Rashid presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Faisal Al-Bannai, founder of Axiom Telecom. Best Business Leader Award (Male) was won by Juma Mohammed Obaid Al-Falasi, Securetech International, while the Best Business Leader Award (Female) went to Dr. Lamees Hamdan, from Shifa.
Best Arab Start-Up Business (Male) was won by Abdulla S. Al-Shalfan of Aseej United, Kuwait. Best Arab Start-Up Business (Female) was won by Huda Mohammed Janahi from Global Cargo Travelers’ Services, Bahrain. Best Manufacturing Business was won by Nayef Abdallah Al-Harees, Belatex Industries. Best IT Business was won by Juma Mohammed Obaid Al-Falasi, Securetech International. Best Tourism Business was won by Ali Al-Salman, Wonder Bus Tours. Best Health & Well-Care Business was won by Dr. Lamees Hamdan, Shifa. Best Service Business was won by Ahmed Al-Hamli, The Orchestra Café. Best Marketing & Promotion Business was won by Fahad Sultan Sulaiman, Mediahub, Dubai. Best Consulting and Professional Business was won by Ibrahim Abduallah Al-Mansoori, Al-Tamooh. Best Education Business was won by Amna Rashid Al-Mannaei, Private School. Best Design Business was won by Fatma Al-Attar, Interior Dot Com. Best Retail Business was won by Jaber Mohammed Khoory, Dubike Trading. Best Facility and Real Estate Management Business was won by Khaled Rashid Al-Suwaidi, GlobalTech.
“We hope that the winning projects will be a model for others to emulate,” Hamdan said. “What we have achieved is only a very little of our aims and ambitions. Our aims are clear. The government commitment to support people is a most precious objective. We believe that the youth are our country’s most valuable treasure. This commitment of the government is equally shared by the ambition and efforts of our youth to create successful projects that lead to progress and growth.”