Doha, Qatar, 13 June 2022: INJAZ Qatar and Microsoft successfully concluded the “Women Entrepreneurs” program, which was launched last February to support women entrepreneurship in Qatar and promote economic diversification in the country, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
Qatar Science and Technology Park hosted the closing ceremony in presence of HE Sheikha Hanadi Bint Nasser Bint Khaled Al Thani, Chairperson INJAZ Qatar &INJAZ Al Arab, and over 120 participants, including members of INJAZ’s Board of Directors, Lana Khalaf, Microsoft’s Country Manager for Qatar and a number of Microsoft’s officials, as well as senior officials, from Qatar Science and Technology Park
The Demo Day at QSTP witnessed the five teams who qualified for the final stage presenting their innovative ideas in technology and Artificial Intelligence before the judges panel, which included experts and specialists from Microsoft, QSTP, and INJAZ to select three winning teams that will benefit from the support of QSTP’s Incubation Center which focuses its efforts on business incubation in technology.
QSTP’s Incubation Center will provide the winning teams with extensive training and mentoring activities to enable promising innovators to transform their technology-based ideas into viable businesses, advance their ideas to new horizons in the world of entrepreneurship, and gain more skills and experience that enable them to compete locally and globally.
In her speech during the event, HE Sheikha Hanadi Bint Nasser Bint Khaled Al Thani, Chairperson INJAZ Qatar &INJAZ Al Arab said: “Over the past months, we have witnessed amazing efforts from the competing teams to reach the final stage that we are witnessing today. Efforts of women entrepreneurs during those months reaffirms the capabilities of women in Qatar and their ability to advance their capabilities in technology whenever they are empowered with the ideal environment and support.”
HE commended the work of Microsoft and INJAZ Qatar teams in guiding and training the competing teams during this journey to the demo day. She also talked about the learned lessons brought by this initiative that should be as a guidance in similar activities in the future.
Sheikha Hanadi also thanked Microsoft for this initiative that its fruits seen today in the brilliant ideas of Qatari women, heralding a more prosperous future for Qatar and its people.
Lana Khalaf, Country General Manager of Microsoft Qatar said, “Congratulations to all of the winners on their outstanding innovations. At Microsoft, we are committed to empowering as many exceptional innovators as possible through initiatives such as the Women Technopreneurs program with our partner INJAZ Qatar. The program has presented women in Qatar an amazing opportunity to innovate and bring ground-breaking solutions to life through the power of cloud and AI.”
As part of its efforts to support the initiative; Microsoft has provided participants in Women Technopreneurs program with knowledge, expertise, and resources in artificial intelligence, in line with its quest to help women and people from all walks of life acquire the digital skills needed to succeed in today’s digitally-driven world.
This initiative is a step on the road of developing skills that benefit young people in business and economic activities, with a special focus on technology, especially in artificial intelligence, as a leading sector currently. The project was entirely dedicated to contribute to women’s empowerment efforts, by enhancing their knowledge, upgrading their qualifications, and enabling them to make the most of their abilities and talents, for the benefit of the technology and business, which is a fast-developing sector.
The participants in the program have received support, guidance and assistance from experts and specialists from INJAZ and Microsoft over a period of three months, during online meetings and at QSTP premises to give them the opportunity to improve their skills, benefit from a unique educational experience, and learn more about the values and ethics of work. The participating teams presented exceptional ideas that take advantage of artificial intelligence.
The winning teams Clini-Key, I see, and Jobot got the opportunity to be incubated and were awarded to join QSTP’s accelerator program.
Ms. Reema Al Kuwari, participant at the program mentioned, “We are glad to get the chance to join the “Women Technopreneurs” program by Microsoft and INJAZ Qatar, with the support of QSTP who will turn our idea “Jobot” to reality, which will revolutionize the future of recruitment starting from Qatar. We extend our sincere thanks to INJAZ Qatar for their pioneer programs that meet the future aspirations for Qatar. I also thank Microsoft for sponsoring this program and providing mind-blowing workshops, as well as Qatar Science and Technology Park for their support to youth’s creativity and innovation.”
This program comes as part of the continuous efforts in Qatar to support innovation in the technology, especially among young people while establishing commercial projects in this growing field and to help them turn challenges into opportunities, and to use modern technologies to provide innovative products, solutions or services that contribute to the country’s digital economy, besides enabling entrepreneurs to benefit from a network of specialists in guidance and direction, financing programs, training, and others, in order to build a knowledge-based economy and contribute to the diversification of the Qatari economy.
