With more than 200 ambitious young Kuwaiti entrepreneurs showcasing their innovations and businesses at Wataniya Telecom’s first GiveKuwait exhibition, it is clearly evident that the number of small businesses in Kuwait will continue to rise. A reflection of true talent and promising youth, GiveKuwait’s remarkable success marks a huge stepping-stone for emerging young business owners, as a palpable space has been created for small business owners to effectively engage with customers and their peers.

Inaugurated on the 12th of April at the International Fair Grounds under the patronage of His Highness, the Prime Minister, Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, young entrepreneurs and creative minds alike came together during the five-day exhibition to ultimately create the largest business fair in Kuwait—the GiveKuwait 2012 Exhibition. Since its early beginnings, we have followed GiveKuwait’s vision in the making, creating a thriving hub that drives development and raises the spirit of local entrepreneurship. Honored by distinguished dignitaries, a special delegation from the UNDP praised Wataniya’s role in promoting talent by creating an unprecedented event that supports youth development initiatives.

The participating businesses covered sectors that ranged from fashion, accessories, photography, architecture, interior design, fine art, graphic design, gifts, perfumes, food and beverage operations, entertainment, to car care services and much more.

In his words, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Wataniya Telecom Eng. Abdulaziz Fakhroo said, “The Wataniya team has worked very hard to bring out a creative and unique platform to support local employment and motivate talented young citizens of our country. The enthusiasm that we witnessed during these five days has surpassed our expectations. We were also very pleased by the high interest it received from the visitors, which approximately amounted to more than 40 thousand people. They all came to support the entrepreneurs and learn more about their businesses”.

Fakhroo also added, “The main objective of GiveKuwait 2012 was to introduce projects and creative business ideas to the bigger community. We wanted to give young businesspersons a chance to shine. Furthermore, we wanted to guide them through the right path of how to become successful entrepreneurs. During the exhibition, we have also welcomed candidates to apply and consider jobs at Wataniya Telecom. This was done to engage them and encourage fresh talent to work in the private sector which will ultimately result in supporting the economy of our country.”

In a statement delivered on this occasion, Brand and Communications Senior Director Riham Al-Ayyar stated, “It was fantastic to see our talented youth here and give them the opportunity to express themselves artistically. The exhibition was a huge success with many commenting on the quality of each and every concept. It was great to see the pride that each of the young people involved took in their creations and their sense of achievement was clear for all to see.” Perhaps the biggest challenge for small business owners is the defining factor of management and direction. With so many young individuals displaying remarkable talent, Wataniya saw the need for providing guidance as a local telecom operation that grew into a defining communications giant.”

To inject the spirit of competition in a lighthearted manner amongst the competitors, Wataniya had a competition for three main categories: Best Booth Design, Best Product Idea and Best Wataniya Spirit. Winners of Best Booth Design included Choco Drops, SAJA, N-Studio, Darabelna and Jumana Perfumes. Winners for Best Product Idea were Bold Type, Q8ty Sushi, Let’s Customize, Glitz and Roses Remembered. As for the Best Wataniya Spirit, Wataniya awarded Zee Style (Abaya designed for Wataniya) Chocolate House (Wataniya Logo out of Chocolate) and Rosaymus (GiveKuwait written out in flowers). The five-day exhibition also proved to be an educational experience for the participants, from planning their participation, setting up their products, preparing their branding, to honing their sales skills for an unprecedented showcase; the participants also attended lectures and seminars provided by business owners, prominent figures, and representatives from the Amiri Diwan to provide them with more guidance and motivation.

For more information on GiveKuwait 2, visit Wataniya Telecom on www.wataniya.com, follow them on Twitter, @wataniyatelecom, or check their latest updates on Facebook:Wataniya, and their latest posts on Kuwait’s first telecom Blog, www.wataniya.com/blog.