Celebrating Bahraini innovation: Export Bahrain announces winners for Bahrain’s Creative Business Cup 2024

(Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain): Export Bahrain and the Creative Business Network organized the first edition of the Bahrain Creative Business Cup 2024, in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce and Chairman of Export Bahrain in collaboration with Bahrain Development Bank and The Collective Hub.

The event orchestrated by Export Bahrain, marked a pivotal moment in championing the growth and global reach of Bahrain’s vibrant industries and culture. This event is a strategic initiative to bolster Bahrain’s standing on a global scale, encouraging startups to refine their offerings to meet and exceed internationally recognized standards. By spotlighting Bahraini startups, the event supports to facilitate their inclusion in a global community of startup experts and mentors, fostering invaluable connections that transcend borders. It aimed to catalyze the Bahraini economy, forging pathways to develop projects in collaboration with leading investors, corporations, accelerators, and startups worldwide. Moreover, the event is a cradle for innovation, nurturing collaboration between large global corporations and startups to address specific innovation needs, thereby empowering the creative business concepts and competitiveness of Bahrain-based entrepreneurs. The Creative Business Cup has set the stage for Bahraini startups to not only participate in the global market but to thrive and influence it profoundly.

The event provided an unparalleled platform for five local talents from within the Creative Industry, Sustainable Development, and Social impact sectors to showcase their skills and compete to take on the opportunity to qualify for the global finals. Alongside the competition, several panel discussions and award ceremonies in recognition of the participants efforts were held as part of the events activities to promote entrepreneurial spirit within the kingdom.
The startups presented before a judging panel that consisted of a number of esteemed regional and local judges, including Mr. Omar Al-Shabaan, CEO of The Garage KSA, Mr. Suhail Algosaibi, Chairman of Tenmou, Mr. Safa Sharif, Co-founder of WSI Consulting, Mr. Sam Yearsley, Head of Venture Builiding Spring Studios and Ms. Marwa Aleskafi, Director of Programs and Partnership Development at Tamkeen.

After a careful evaluation session by the jury, Mr. Mohammed Abdellaal from Silent Power stood out to be awarded for the first place, qualifying them the honor of becoming the Kingdom of Bahrain representative at the CBC global finals in Copenhagen, Denmark, June 2024.
Mr. Mohammed Abdellaal expressed their joy at this significant achievement, remarking, “We at Silent Power are honored to have been recognized for our innovation and efforts and we are grateful to have had the chance to participate in such an event, we look forward to competing in the global edition of the Creative Business Cup and anticipate more opportunities such as the Creative Business Cup in the future.”

His Excellency Mr. Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce and Chairman of Export Bahrain, praised the distinguished efforts and ingenuity of all the participants and congratulated Silent Power for their distinction. He continued to state “We are proud to have such talented entrepreneurs and forward thinkers in the nation. Events such as the Creative Business Cup have proven crucial in creating the space for innovation and showcasing the entrepreneurial spirit of Bahrain.”

Mrs. Dalal Al Qais CEO of Bahrain Development Bank Group, stating, “Supporting events such as national edition of Creative Business Cup isn’t just about nurturing startups; it’s about cultivating a thriving ecosystem that fuels innovation, fosters entrepreneurship, advancing the Kingdom’s economy towards sustainable growth.”

Mr. Nawaf AlKoheji, CEO of Tenmou and The Collective Hub, congratulated the winners and praised the initiative, stating, “It was an honor to be a part of the first national edition of the Creative Business Cup, which has created an indispensable opportunity for the talented entrepreneurs in the Kingdom to showcase their ability both regionally and internationally. We look forward to more future collaborations in creating an environment that encourages the creativity and ingenuity that will propel the Kingdom of Bahrain as a regional hub for entrepreneurship.”