Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain is stepping up its commitment to Bahrain’s startup ecosystem, announcing a main partnership with this year’s “StartUp Bahrain – University of Bahrain” program. The initiative, organized by StartUp Bahrain with support from the Labour Fund “Tamkeen,” aims to equip university students with the practical skills needed to transform their ideas into sustainable businesses.
Quick Facts
- KFH-Bahrain introduced a new social impact startup award.
- The program attracted over 1,000 student participants.
- Project “Ne’ma” won the inaugural KFH-Bahrain award.
Fostering Bahrain’s Next Generation of Founders
The university program provided an intensive, hands-on experience for its participants. More than 1,000 students from various academic fields joined, forming over 240 teams to develop their startup concepts. Throughout the program, they moved from idea generation to building prototypes, supported by mentorship sessions, workshops, and several qualification rounds.
The program culminated in a final ceremony where the top 10 student teams competed. Representatives from KFH-Bahrain also contributed directly by serving on the judging panels, offering their industry experience to guide the emerging entrepreneurs.
A Push for Socially Conscious Startups
As part of its partnership, KFH-Bahrain established a special award in its name for the best entrepreneurial project with a clear social impact. This move highlights the bank’s focus on supporting ventures that contribute positively and sustainably to the community.
The inaugural award was presented during the closing ceremony, which was attended by Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy, and Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak Juma, Minister of Education. Dr. Shadi Zahran, CEO of KFH-Bahrain Group, presented the award to the winning project, “Ne’ma.”
Dr. Shadi Zahran commented on the partnership, stating, “We are proud of our main partnership with the ‘StartUp Bahrain – University of Bahrain’ program, a leading national platform that helps instill a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth. This aligns with our commitment to initiatives that contribute to a knowledge-based economy and empower young national talent to play an active role in Bahrain’s sustainable economic development.”
Maram Murad, Event Lead at StartUp Bahrain, added, “The support from Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain as a main partner reflects the importance of integrating the private sector in empowering student founders. It gives them practical opportunities to develop their ideas and turn them into startups with real potential for growth and sustainability.”
About Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain
Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain is a leading Islamic bank in the Kingdom of Bahrain, offering a wide range of Sharia-compliant banking and financial services to individuals and institutions. It is a subsidiary of Kuwait Finance House Group.
About StartUp Bahrain
StartUp Bahrain is a leading community and platform for startups in the Kingdom of Bahrain. It aims to foster a dynamic ecosystem by connecting entrepreneurs with resources, mentorship, and opportunities, working in collaboration with public and private sector partners.
Source: Akhbar Al-Khaleej
