HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, President of the Royal Scientific Society and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Princess Sumaya University for Technology, honored the ceremony honoring the winners of the 13th edition of the Queen Rania National Entrepreneurship Award. These Award-winning entrepreneurs participated in the Orange Corners Jordan incubation program initiated by the Netherlands, marking today also as the first graduates successfully completing this incubation.
Today’s event was attended by His Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Jordan, Mr. Harry Verweij, the Vice President of the Royal Scientific Society, Eng. Rafat Assi ,the President of PSUT, Prof. Wejdan Abu Elhaija, the Executive Director of the iPARK Business Incubator, Mr. Omar Hamarneh, iPARK incubation director, Eng. Serene Duwayri, the Executive Director of Media, Communication, Innovation, and Sustainability Management at Zain Jordan, Mr. Tareq Al-Bitar, the Director of the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship, Mr. Mohammad Obeidat. Additionally, representatives from the government, innovation and entrepreneurship sectors, entrepreneurs, and winners were also in attendance.
HRH began her speech by observing a minute of silence for the souls of the martyrs of Gaza, noting the importance of leadership and innovation for recovery after the end of the war, and highlighting the significance of cross-border exchange and partnership in finding solutions for the region. These are vital elements of the recovery process and essential for economic and social advancement in the affected countries. Encouraging entrepreneurial initiatives and supporting new innovations are among the fundamentals of building a more sustainable and prosperous future.
HRH stressed that entrepreneurial talent exists in abundance in our country, and these competitions contribute greatly to strengthening and empowering these talents and developing their ideas in a spirit of determination and dedication, which represents a real force for change and development in our society. Her Highness called for continuing to build bridges of cooperation and exchange experiences to advance the entrepreneurship sector in Jordan by creating the appropriate conditions to demonstrate the best skills and distinguished entrepreneurial ideas possessed by young people.
HRH also indicated that, since its establishment in 2004, the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship has had a main goal of supporting and empowering entrepreneurial talent, as the Queen Rania National Entrepreneurship Competition represents, at its core, a unique Jordanian initiative, characterized by a regional and global outlook. It is the result of a creative and supportive partnership between the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship (QRCE) at Princess Sumaya University for Technology, and the iPARK business incubator at the Royal Scientific Society.
HRH added that the value and impact of the competition offered by the Center has gone beyond merely supporting offices and startups to reach the communities it seeks to serve, through networking with partners, advisors and specialists and connecting them with young people to help and motivate them to learn more, so that they will be future leaders and decision-makers in determining their path.
HRH pointed out that what distinguishes the competition this year is that it has become more representative of the hopes of the young generation in the economic future, in close cooperation and partnership with the “Orange Corners” program within an initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is being implemented in 22 countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
His Excellency, the Dutch Ambassador, Mr. Harry Verweij, expressed his appreciation for the valuable support of the Jordanian private company contributions to Orange Corners. He added, "I congratulate the winners of the Award and the Orange Corners graduates. The Netherlands firmly supports empowering innovative entrepreneurs, enabling them to build businesses, foster economic growth and ultimately shape a brighter future for Jordan. The young pioneers we celebrate today are the next generation of Jordanian business leaders and innovators. And I am proud to support them"
Mr. Mohammad Obaidat, the Director of the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship, stated that the Orange Corners Jordan incubation program aims to support young Jordanian entrepreneurs who have gone beyond the idea stage, built the minimum viable products, and have operated for at least one year. Pointing out that more than 600 teams registered for the award, of which 120 teams qualified and received training for two months, and then 40 teams qualified for incubation with Orange Corners Jordan.
Eng. Serene Duwayri, the Director of Incubation at iPARK, mentioned that through the Orange Corners Jordan program, 40 teams were supported at the incubation stage. The aim is to transform their innovative ideas into successful projects and startups by providing logistical services and specialized consultations to enable their continuity and growth.
Tareq Al-Bitar, the Executive Director of Media, Communication, Innovation, and Sustainability Management at Zain Jordan, reaffirmed Zain's commitment to supporting all programs and initiatives serving Jordanian innovators and entrepreneurs, expressing his satisfaction with the extended strategic partnership between ZINC and the QRCE, serving the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Jordan.
Mr. Abdulkareem AL-Dissi, Corporate Affairs and Business Development Director at AstraZeneca said that social responsibility is considered one of the most important priorities of AstraZeneca, which always pays great attention to three main axes: preserving the environment, sustainability, and making health care available to all. We work hard to increase community awareness and support young talent through empowerment programs.
Orange Corners Jordan is a flagship Dutch initiative, launched in 2023, focused on supporting entrepreneurs, startups, and young innovators. Each year, around 40 Jordanian entrepreneurs have access to incubation through training, mentorship, business development support, networking, and more. Its aim is to strengthen the Jordanian startup ecosystem.
Orange Corners Jordan is implemented through the iPARK Business Incubator (Royal Scientific Society), and Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship (QRCE - PSUT) in strategic partnership with the Zain Innovation Campus (ZINC).
HRH honored the winners of the Queen Rania National Entrepreneurship Award, with the first-place recipient being Techcare, the second-place winner Planalyz, the other second-place winner Farm Jo and the third-place winner Shipdip.
Princess Sumaya also honored the winners of the iPARK incubation award supported by AstraZeneca, including Techcare, Shipdip and Tourstify.