Emirates NBD Egypt announced the launch of the “Sustain the Future” competition aimed at supporting entrepreneurial ideas and innovation among public university students, in collaboration with “CREATIVA” Innovation Hubs ، an initiative by the Egyptian government and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), implemented through the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC), aims to support and assist students, entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized enterprises and startups to become key actors in bringing digital transformation within the reach of all industry sectors and “EYouth”. The competition seeks to support university students, enhance entrepreneurial skills and develop entrepreneurial creativity among youth, in line with the Egyptian government’s efforts to empower them and support sustainable economic development goals (SDGs), and advance Egypt’s Vision 2030.
“Sustain the Future” competition targets public university students in Egypt, encouraging them to submit creative project ideas that contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous future. The competition provides an interactive platform for showcasing innovative solutions to societal challenges, while simultaneously enhancing youth leadership skills and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset to tackle current and emerging challenges with sustainable, inventive solutions. Students will have the opportunity to join an integrated program designed to turn their visions into tangible projects, with two main pillars: promoting a circular economy within the bank’s operations by encouraging ideas that support sustainable economic growth, and advancing community engagement that focuses on developing innovative solutions to societal challenges and raising awareness about the importance of sustainability.
In this context, Dr. Amgad Doma, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer at Emirates NBD Egypt commented, “At Emirates NBD Egypt, supporting the entrepreneurial community and empowering youth to achieve their aspirations is central to our priorities, as we believe that youth are vital to building a brighter future. This competition marks a crucial step towards cultivating a new generation of entrepreneurs equipped to positively impact society by providing specialized training programs and an inspiring environment for creativity and innovation, alongside being a valuable opportunity to discover and nurture young talent.”
He added, “We are proud to partner with CREATIVA and EYouth platform, as this collaboration enables us to equip youth with the skills and tools needed to professionally bring their ideas to life, grounded in the principles of entrepreneurship and a comprehensive vision for transforming ideas into reality.”
Through “Sustain the Future” competition, ten teams will compete for a valuable prize, each team will develop their entrepreneurial idea with guidance from entrepreneurship experts to foster the spirit of collaboration and teamwork. Participants will have an exceptional opportunity to attend an intensive training camp, during which, they will receive the necessary support and mentorship to transform their ideas into viable projects. These projects will be evaluated by a panel of experts based on several criteria to select the winning team.
Emirates NBD Egypt continues its efforts to empower youth and support entrepreneurs as an integral part of its overall strategy. The bank’s partnership with EYouth builds on a long-standing collaboration, previously demonstrated through the launch of the Youth Skills Gate program, which provides in-depth training on basic financial concepts, financial planning, and financial inclusion. This program also enhances trainees’ personal skills, including effective communication, leadership, and core competencies for careers in the banking sector.
Additionally, the bank has previously collaborated with Education for Employment – Egypt (EFE-Egypt) to deliver entrepreneurship workshops to 40 male and female participants with market-ready products, reflecting the bank’s dedication to economic growth through supporting young entrepreneurs in Egypt and helping them expand their businesses across diverse sectors.