The inaugural Sustainability Future Lab, a flagship youth-focused initiative by the Sustainability Forum Middle East (SFME), has successfully concluded its first university challenge. The innovation sprint culminated in an awards ceremony recognizing “The Architects,” a team from the University of Bahrain, for their practical and innovative solution to advance sustainability capacity building in the Kingdom.
Fostering Youth-Led Innovation
The week-long challenge brought together over 50 students from various public and private universities across Bahrain. These students formed seven multidisciplinary teams, guided by nearly 20 senior and junior mentors from SFME’s partner network. The core objective was to develop scalable and implementable solutions for real-world sustainability issues, including climate resilience, the net-zero transition, and carbon markets, all aligned with Bahrain’s national goals and global climate commitments.
The event, powered by KPMG Bahrain alongside SFME, provided a crucial platform for students to engage directly with pressing environmental challenges and translate academic knowledge into actionable proposals.
The Winning Solution: Mostadam
Following a competitive pitch showcase, the winning team, “The Architects,” was celebrated for the strength, originality, and applicability of their project. Their solution, Mostadam, is a digital platform designed to bridge the gap between sustainability awareness and daily practice.
Mostadam leverages short-form content, gamified learning modules, and a reward-based system to encourage sustainable habits among young people. By making sustainable behavior engaging and accessible, the platform aims to drive grassroots impact. The project directly aligns with the principles of Bahrain Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, showcasing the potential of youth-led innovation. As part of their prize, the team will receive specialized training from the Supreme Council for Environment and a dedicated session at Reboot Coding Institute.
Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders
The initiative received strong endorsement from key figures in Bahrain’s environmental sector. H.E. Amna Hamad AlRumaihi, Chief Executive of the Supreme Council for Environment, attended the ceremony and highlighted the program’s significance.
“Empowering young people to engage with sustainability challenges is essential to advancing Bahrain’s environmental and climate objectives,” said H.E. AlRumaihi. “Sustainability Future Lab provides a valuable platform for developing the skills, knowledge, and practical experience needed to support long-term environmental stewardship.”
Zahraa Taher, Managing Director of FinMark Communications and Founder of SFME, also commented on the program’s success.
“The creativity, dedication, and quality of thinking demonstrated by the participating teams highlight the importance of providing structured platforms that enable young people to translate sustainability dialogue into practical, real-world solutions,” stated Taher. “We are proud of all the participants and congratulate ‘The Architects on their well-deserved achievement.”
About Sustainability Future Lab
The Sustainability Future Lab is a university challenge and a core youth-focused initiative of the Sustainability Forum Middle East. It is designed to engage university students in developing practical, real-world sustainability solutions aligned with national priorities and global climate commitments. The program provides a platform for students to collaborate, innovate, and gain hands-on experience in tackling pressing environmental and social challenges.
Source: Zawya
