The Union of Arab Chambers organizes, in partnership and cooperation with the “People of Determination International Expo” and the League of Arab States (Social Affairs Sector - Department of Development and Social Policies), the UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office - Bahrain, the Arab Labor Organization, the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, the “Living Independently Initiative to Support People of Determination” competition, in which entrepreneurs of people of determination or those who have ideas and projects that serve people of determination and help them live independently and face the challenges that may arise in Arab and international societies in the future, participate.

The competition is held as part of the activities of the fourth edition of the International Expo for People of Determination, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, President of Dubai Airports, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates Airlines and Group, this coincides with the holding of the third edition of the "Dubai World Summit to Facilitate Tourism for People of Determination" during the period November 15-17, 2022, at the Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The competition aims to motivate people of determination to exploit their creative energy by developing their abilities and skills and supporting them in order to transform their creativity into productive projects that make them a productive segment of society qualified to "live independently". The initiative also aims to encourage Arab innovators to create advanced systems, programs and technology to serve people of determination, within a competition that is subject to high standards, according to which the technology most appropriate to the needs of people of determination is selected and work to find the necessary funding for it.

On this occasion, the Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Chambers, Dr. Khaled Hanafi, commended the organization of the “Live Independently to Support People of Determination” initiative competition, coinciding with the holding of the fourth session of the People of Determination Expo. He stressed the importance of the role of people of determination in society, pointing out the necessity of working to achieve equality through equal opportunities and full integration of people of determination in the field of work, promoting economic empowerment for them, and protecting people of determination from discrimination in the work environment.

Hanafi praised the launch of the "Live independently" initiative competition and the signing of a joint cooperation agreement with the management of the International Exhibition of People of Determination, which is the first of its kind in the Arab world and targets entrepreneurs of determination and their projects that will help them live independently.

He stressed that the Union of Arab Chambers, as the true representative of the Arab private sector, pays great attention to people of determination in order to empower them economically and socially, by working with the relevant authorities in the Arab world, in order to ensure that they have access to opportunities and experiences that enable them to live independently.

The Secretary-General of the Union pointed out that the organization of the "Initiative to Live Independently to Support People of Determination" competition comes after the resounding success of the "Arab Rally for Entrepreneurship and Innovation" competition, where the winners of the first and second editions reached the most important global centers, where it included the list of "Forbes magazine", in the category of creative youth who have proven their mark in the Arab region and abroad in terms of social impact, Wadah Malaeb (Lebanon), winner of the Arab Rally Entrepreneurship Competition in Bahrain 2019, and Hassan Al Haraki (Syria), winner of the Arab Rally Entrepreneurship Dubai 2022 competition, which was held within the activities of "Expo Dubai 2020".

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Date published : 5 October 2022