The Student Award 2011 asked for the best answers to one of the world’s toughest questions, “How can you build sustainable cities in the desert?”

Ten final ideas were chosen from 630 proposals submitted by university students in the Middle East.

The Siemens Student Award Ceremony took place in Doha, Qatar, where the final ideas were presented to a high-profile international jury.

The jury selected the winner, a team of three students from Egypt, who were awarded $25,000, the first runner-up from Saudi Arabia, who was awarded $15,000 and the second runner-up from Egypt who was awarded $5,000.

All finalists will be offered internship opportunities at Siemens.

The Siemens Student Award Ceremony took place on Nov. 1, 2011 in Doha, Qatar, where 10 final ideas were presented to an international jury and the winners were selected.

The jury consisted of high-profile individuals from various institutions and organizations that are significantly involved with sustainability initiatives; Mrs.Asya Al-Ashaikh, founder and CEO of Tamkeen Sustainability Advisers, Saudi Arabia; Ashraf Gamal, director of the Egyptian Corporate Responsibility Center, Egypt; Alan Geoffrey Frost, Director, Masdar City, UAE; Shafqat Kakakhel, member advisory committee, Ministry of Environment, Pakistan; and Christian Urbanke, Siemens Corporate Technology, Siemens AG, Germany.

The winning team from Egypt, “The Green Thinkers Group” comprised Ms. Rofayda El-Emam, Ahmed Abd Alaziz and Mr. Bahaa El-Deen Khatter from Minia University, Egypt. It won the first-ever Siemens Student Award for their idea of a Spiral Power Plant.

The focus of this idea is to build a spiral plant inspired by the shell shape of the snail, using glass as a main construction material to raise the temperature inside the plant, obtaining air to rise up — this airflow drives turbines and produces electricity.

The first runner-up is Ms Noura Chehab from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, for her idea entitled “Transferring A Desert Into A Haven.”

The key theme of the idea is an integrated system which simultaneously desalinates salt water, produces electricity and treats wastewater.

The system promises significant advantages as it does not require extensive energy inputs or high water pressure.

The second runner-up is Mohamed Youssef from Suez Canal University, Egypt for his idea of Effective Desalination System.

The idea’s main focus is an ordinary desalination system, enhanced by multiple modifications to increase the evaporation rate and convert the sun rays with higher efficiency into heat.

The guest of honor at the Siemens Student Awards 2011 ceremony, Sheikha Hanadi bint Nasser Al-Thani, said the students have showcased a lot of creativity and innovation in trying to find solutions to the challenges faced today.

Patron of the Siemens Student Award, Erich Kaeser, CEO, Siemens Middle East, stated: “We will continue fostering our educational programs and commitment to local societies in the Middle East.”

The winner of the Siemens Student Award 2011, The Green Thinkers Group, commented at the award event: “We would encourage every student in the region to participate in similar contests and benefit from the unique opportunities provided by Siemens to create a better, sustainable future.”

Siemens is actively supporting the region’s vision in its historic shift toward knowledge based economies.