Khalifa Fund Extends Registration Deadline for Third Edition of Pitch@Palace UAE

The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED) announced that the registration for the third edition of the Pitch@Palace UAE competition has now been extended to August 20, 2019. The competition will provide Emirati entrepreneurs with an opportunity to pitch their innovative projects before a global audience in Abu Dhabi. 

Mouza Al Nasri, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Khalifa Fund, emphasized the importance of the Pitch@Palace UAE competition, which was launched in November 2016 in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, Duke of York. She stated that the competition aims to nurture the spirit of entrepreneurship in the UAE, especially among young people, and to create a new generation of Emirati entrepreneurs for the socio-economic progress of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and that the Fund supports all initiatives that fall in line with its commitment to encourage UAE citizens to become entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) capable of contributing to the growing national economy.

Al Nasri said: “We invite Emirati innovators and entrepreneurs to participate in the third edition of Pitch@Palace UAE. This is their golden opportunity to turn their ideas into a reality and make their businesses successful. The competition has played a key role in reinforcing startups companies and SMEs in the UAE. It is a starting point for ambitious Emirati youth to present their projects before a global audience of influential personalities, who can help them achieve global success and continuity.

Pitch@Palace UAE is organized by Khalifa Fund in collaboration with the office of H.R.H Prince Andrew, Duke of York. It aims to instil a culture of innovation as well as support the Emirati youth in their journey towards progress and leadership under the guidance of the UAE’s wise leadership.

The competition is open to all Emirati entrepreneurs. The participating teams must comprise at least one UAE national, who will showcase the team’s project to a select group of judges. The theme of this year’s competition is ‘Technology Serving Humans’, which highlights the importance of science and technology. Participants are encouraged to explore the potentials of technology such as robotics, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence in providing solutions to people’s daily lives.

The first round of the competition’s On-Tour events will take place in Abu Dhabi on September 16, 2019 while the second round will be held on September 18, 2019 in Dubai. A boot camp for the qualified participants will be held for two consecutive days from October 6 to 7, 2019 while the closing ceremony of the competition will be held on October 9, 2019. Government officials and local and international economic experts are expected to attend the closing ceremony. The third edition of Pitch@Palace UAE will open new communication channels between the UAE and several other major global markets. The winners of this year’s edition will participate in the fourth edition of Pitch@Palace Global to be held at St James’s Palace in December 2019.

The highly successful first and second editions of Pitch@Palace UAE received a total of 276 combined entries, 145 of which were accepted. Over the past two years, 110 Emirati entrepreneurs took part in the competition’s On Tour events in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, while owners of 26 innovative projects qualified to the boot camp stage and were named finalists. Four Emirati entrepreneurs in the first and second editions showcased their prominent projects at Pitch@Palace Global in London. They were Faraj Al Faraj, owner of ‘Brailleye’ project; Mansour Al Kaabi, developer of ‘Dwak’ application; Saif Al Darmaki, owner of ‘Artelus Software House’ company; and Abdulla Al Shimmari, founder of ‘Foodate’ company.

To register or see more information, visit http://pitchatpalaceuae.com.