Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development honors Akoun winners

The total number of participants at this year's competition was one hundred and thirteen. The announcement of winners was made at a special award ceremony at Rocco Forte Hotel, Abu Dhabi yesterday. It came following the conclusion of Akoun III Initiative.

The Initiative, which has just completed its third stageis sponsored by ADCED and its partners. The Initiative aims at promoting entrepreneurship among young Emirati students.

The award ceremony was attended by senior members of the Economic Council along with officials from Akoun partners including: Khalifa Fund, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, and Western Region Development Council and TwoFour54.

Congratulating the winners and welcoming the guests, Mr Fahad Saeed al Raqbani, director General of ADCED said: "I am very pleased to thank and congratulate all participants, whether they won or not. You have made the first step on the right direction toward realizing your dream and entering the world of entrepreneurship. We hope you will continue your journey with the same perseverance and determination; and we shall encourage you to set up your own businesses once you have finished your university study."

The Akoun Committee received 113 creative business plans, 67 from Abu Dhabi, 29 from Al Ain and 17 from Al Gharbia. These business plans consisted of different ideas with detailed promotional and financial plans. A special selection committee studied the business plans carefully and chose nine winners from the three different regions of the Emirate, each represented by three winners.

In its first year, the Akoun Committee received 24 entries and in the second year 59 entries.
The first winner from Abu Dhabi, Salama Al Muhairi said: "I wrote this business plan to support my friend's startup. What I have in mind for myself in the future is completely different. This experience helped me understand the steps that I need to go through in order to prepare a business plan for an idea that I'm planning to bring to life." Her winning idea is called "Irada".

The Akoun Committee will work closely with its partners to continuesupport the students and encourage them to develop their talents by introducing a new theme for next year.