The Young entrepreneur Competition (YEC 2013), held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of Dubai’s Executive Council, will begin at the Marina Mall Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, 3rd of April 2013.

Around 100 students from schools and universities across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region will display their entrepreneurial projects in specially designated kiosks across the Marina Mall 3-6 April as part of the event. The kiosks will be open throughout the mall operational hours, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Organised by Dubai SME, the agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai mandated to develop the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, YEC 2013 aims to inculcate entrepreneurial spirit among students in public and private secondary schools and universities across the UAE.

The annual event, currently in its ninth cycle, is coming to Abu Dhabi for the first time and has the support of the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs and Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone.

“After eight years of success in identifying entrepreneurial talent and inspiring the younger generation to take control of their destiny, the Young Entrepreneur Competition is now expanding beyond Dubai. The competition has remained a strong component of the entrepreneurial development initiatives of Dubai SME as we are delighted to see students all over the UAE will benefit from it,” commented Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO, Dubai SME.

“As a nationwide platform the Young Entrepreneurial Competition now achieves greater significance not only in sustaining the entrepreneurial culture in the UAE but also in providing equal opportunities for the student community to achieve competence and confidence at an early age ,” said Nisrin Mohammed Al Harmoodi, General Coordinator of YEC.

“We are delighted to host this year’s Young Entrepreneur Competition at Marina Mall. As an Abu Dhabi community hub, we are committed to supporting events and organizations that aim to connect the larger UAE community. We are also excited about helping young people fulfill their business potential through a programme that promotes entrepreneurial spirit and look forward to seeing some new and creative ideas,” commented Mr Nadeem Wajahat, General Manager, Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi.

The competition is an opportunity for participants to test-launch their entrepreneurial ideas and skills in the real world of business while also learning the basic principles of starting and operating a business. High school (grade 10) and university students in the age group of 15-25 years can participate in the event.

Al Hamra Mall in Ras Al Khaimah will also host YEC 10-13 April for students from Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah while students from Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman will participate in the event at WAFI in Dubai 17-20 April.

A jury comprising of specialists from Dubai SME will evaluate the projects and shortlist the best 100 before selecting the final winners. Creativity, innovation, marketing and customer service are the key criteria in selecting the winners. The winners will be honoured later by Dubai SME.

The competition will feature a range of projects spanning fashion, fine arts, handicrafts, traditional or heritage products, health products (excluding medicines), environmental awareness products (recycling, renewable energy), educational material (games, tools, modern teaching aids), interior design, cultural activities, and information technology.

For more information on YEC 2013, call 800 SME (763) or email www.yec.ae. YEC 2013 is also on www.facebook.com/yecuae, www.twitter.com/yecuae, and www.youtube.com/yecuae.

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