Category: Events

Dubai Tech Nights – February 9th – RIT University (DSO)

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Dubai Tech NightsA new tech-oriented initiative is seeing the light in Dubai in the form of meetups under the name of “Dubai Tech Nights” that are planned to be held every month on the second Tuesday of the month.

The goal of the event is to get as many techies as possible together in one place to talk about different technology issues, and the possible ways to fuel entrepreneurship and innovation in this part of the world.

The first of these meetups will be held on February 9th, 6PM at the RIT University in Dubai Silicon Oasis.

The event is being organized by Mohamed Alzubi, Tariq Al Asiri and Omar Al-Mahmoud.

If you’re a techie, will be in Dubai at that time and want to attend, just go to the Dubai Tech Nights meetup page to sign up and RSVP.

ArabNet 2010: Trends and Opportunities in Arab Web Business

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ArabNetIBAG, International Business Alliance Group, presents the first edition of a new international conference for the Arab internet industry, ArabNet 2010, under the tagline of “Trends and Opportunities in Arab Web Business.”

The conference will be held in Beirut on March 25-26, 2010 with the support of Endeavor Jordan, the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship, the Syrian Young Entrepreneurs Association and YallaStartup!.

ArabNet aims to bring the internet community together to network and help launch the hottest startups from across the region. Top investors, internet executives and leaders from Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, AdMob and Intel will address subjects that are critical to the Arab Web Industry including: e-commerce, gaming, mobile, content, online advertising, social networking, new media, and start-up fundraising.

Key to the conference are pitch sessions: Ideathon & Startup Demo.  This is the place to match talent with opportunity.

The Ideathon is looking for 10 select entrepreneurs to introduce their fresh startup ideas to eager investors in a rapid-fire pitch session.  Similarly, the Demo will select startups with innovative products to pitch and exhibit their companies for the duration of the conference.

Applications are currently being accepted from entrepreneurs and startups from all over the region with strong ideas and products.

For more details about the conference as well as how to apply, you can visit the official website: ArabNet.me.

[StartUpArabia is an official media partner of ArabNet 2010.]

CERT-Wharton Entrepreneurial Planning & Innovation Competition (EPIC)

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CERT|Wharton Entrepreneurial Planning and Innovation Competition (EPIC)For the first time in the Middle East, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT), have partnered to launch a business plan competition for young entrepreneurs.

The CERT-Wharton “Entrepreneurial Planning and Innovation Competition (EPIC)” is open to all students from accredited academic institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and all Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) alumni.

The top eight teams will share US $50,000 in cash prizes to jump start their businesses, with the winning team receiving US $20,000.

The CERT-Wharton EPIC business plan competition offers students a comprehensive, four-month platform to help them gain the entrepreneurial knowledge and expert feedback needed to launch their new business ideas.

CERT-Wharton EPIC helps teams develop their business plans in both a collaborative and competitive environment.

The competition is structured as follows:

  • Teams need to submit an executive summary of their business plan. (Deadline: December 20th, 2009)
  • These submissions are evaluated and up to 25 teams will be selected – known as the “Top 25”.
  • These “Top 25” submissions will be further evaluated and the top eight teams will be selected to participate in the finals – known as the “Great Eight” finalists.
  • The “Great Eight” finalists will prepare and submit a full business plan for evaluation.
  • The “Great Eight” finalists will present a formal pitch to a panel of judges.  Winners will then be selected.

For further information and to register, check out the official website:  CERT-Wharton “Entrepreneurial Planning and Innovation Competition (EPIC)”

4SITE Forum (Sustainability, Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship) – Beirut – November 17-18th 2009

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4SITE Forum4SITE Forum (Investing in Sustainability, Innovation, Technology & Entrepeneurship) is an event being held in Beirut, Lebanon, bringing together over 200 investors, innovators, and entrepreneurs in Lebanon and the Middle East region. The goal of the event is to promote innovation and entrepreneurship towards sustainable economic development and social impact.

The event is organized by RootSpace and Baraka Group in conjunction with Global Entrepreneurship Week (a yearly event taking place in November in over 80 countries worldwide), and will be held over two days, full of participatory panels, keynotes, workshops, demonstrations, and networking.

The event will be taking place at Bayt El-Tabib Conference Center in Beirut, Lebanon, on November 17-18th. The plan is for this event to be the first in a series of other 4SITE Forums to take place around the region.

The keynote speakers at the event include Joi Ito, the CEO of Creative Commons, John Wilbanks, the CEO of Science Commons, and Rabea Ataya, the CEO of Bayt.com.

Besides the fixed program, there are some slots in the schedule that are planned for Barcamp-style presentations and demos by the participants.

The full program schedule for the event can be viewed online at the official website here: 4SITE Forum Schedule. Tickets to the event can be bought here.

Along with the event, 4SITE Forum and Hibr are also hosting the Global Innovation Tournament (GIT), an initiative of Global Entrepreneurship Week, in Lebanon, with this year’s challenge being to come up with a way to make saving money fun, in light of the current global recession.

Mobile Monday Morocco, Casablanca, November 3rd 2009

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The 5th edition of Mobile Monday Morocco has been announced and will be taking place this coming “Tuesday”, November 3rd 2009, which would make it more of a Mobile Tuesday, but that doesn’t sound as cool, I guess.

Mobile Monday MarocThe event will be taking place at l’Office des Changes in Casablanca, from 6:30PM to 8:30PM.

The program of the event will be as follows:

  • 6:45PM : Presentation of Mobile Monday
  • 7:00PM : 4 presentations, 4 visions of the present and future of mobility:
    • MobileWorks 3D : Search and content accessibility on mobile devices (Christine Maxwell)
    • Online Advertising : Online advertising « from web to mobile »
    • Lemon Way (France) : Mobile Banking solution
    • WebyPass : Social networks through mobile
    • ART UP : Mobile Film Festival Morocco
  • 7:45PM : Networking, free discussions, partner connections.

This edition of Mobile Monday is happening on the sides of the Moroccan leg of the regional IT trade show Med-IT which is taking place in Casablanca, Morocco, from the 3rd to the 5th of November 2009.

For more information on Mobile Monday in Morocco and to sign up for the event, you can visit the official site: Mobile Monday Maroc.

International Conference On E-Commerce, E-Payment And Applications, Marrakech, 25-27 September 2009

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For three days this month, from September 25th to 27th 2009, in the city of Marrakech (Morocco), the ICEP’09 Conference (International Conference on e-Commerce, e-Payment and Applications) will be gathering researchers and executives from all over the world to discuss the latest developments in e-commerce and in e-payment solutions.

Speakers have been invited from academic institutions and leading innovative companies to debate the most crucial contemporary issues related to e-payment and e-commerce. Over a hundred advanced papers will be presented and discussed.

The conference will also act as an opportunity for a number of e-commerce and e-payment companies to exhibit their already built services and products, and provide a stage for a number of e-business presentations from executives of leading e-commerce and e-payment companies.

The Conference generally aims to open the opportunity for:

  • Academics and researchers to present to and share with other colleagues from all over the world their findings on the topics;
  • Researchers to meet decision makers;
  • Vendors and experts at all levels to meet and discuss business opportunities;
  • Companies with offers on the conference topics to exhibit their solutions/products to other experts and to the end users through an exhbition;
  • Enabling any other possible business opportunities.

For more details about the event, the speakers and the programme; check out the official site: ICEP’09 Conference

Twestival Local 2009 Events Around The Arab World

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Twestival LocalA number of Arab cities will be hosting Twestival Local events in the coming days, part of the 200 Twestival Local events taking place in leading cities around the world between the 10th and 13th of September 2009, based around the social media service Twitter, and using its power to support local causes.

Twestival is run 100% by volunteers and independently from any not-for-profit; although the organizing teams do work closely to outline an achievable and measurable fundraising target.

Here’s a list of the Twestival Local events taking place around the Arab world, with details about when and where they’ll be held as well as the local causes they’re supporting:

Dubai Twestival Local:
When: Saturday, September 12th 2009 at 8pm
Where: The Jam Jar Gallery in Al Quoz, Dubai, UAE
Supported local cause: Dubai Autism Center
Twitter: @DubaiTwestival
Site: http://dubai.twestival.com

Abu Dhabi Twestival Local:
When: Sunday, September 13th 2009 at 8pm
Where: Ramadan tent of Le Royal Meridien hotel in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Supported local cause: Future Centre for Special Needs
Twitter: @ADTwestival
Site: http://abudhabi.twestival.com

Beirut Twestival Local:
When: Sunday, September 13th 2009 at 4pm
Where: Rawda/Chatila Cafe in Beirut, Lebanon
Supported local cause: IndyAct
Twitter: @TwestivalBeirut
Site: http://beirut.twestival.com

Amman Twestival Local:
When: Sunday, September 13th 2009 at 9pm
Where: Al Hashemeyyen Theater, Royal Scientific Society in Amman, Jordan
Supported local cause: Al-Aman Fund for the Future of the Orphans
Twitter: @AmmanTwestival
Site: http://amman.twestival.com

Twestival Local is a great opportunity for people to connect with other members of the community, and give them a chance to feel they are contributing to a larger social initiative on top of it all.

BarCamp Algeria, Med&Com, Algiers, September 26th ’09

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BarCamp Alger 3Algiers will soon be witnessing the 3rd edition of BarCamp Algeria that will be held at Med&Com headquarters (1, Rue des cousins Gouraya. 16330 Birkhadem, Alger) on Saturday, September 26th 2009 at 13:00.

The BarCamp Alger is an initiative organized by a group of passionate technology players eager to make their contributions to the development of the ICT sector in Algeria.

BarCamp is open to all Algerian entrepreneurs, workers, and geeks to share, collaborate, discuss, exchange offer, in a friendly yet organized environment.

Under the slogan “Together, I am Stronger“, the working group will be putting forward the skills and expertise of its members and contributes through a collaborative study of real projects, to provide solutions and recommendations which will define the objectives of the community, and draw the first outlines of the an ICT association in Algeria.

Some of the topics that some of the participants will be talking about are:

  • The digital divide and the role of the web in the daily Algerian life.
  • User interface design.
  • New web professions (Project Manager, Integrator, Editor.) and their places in the Algerian company.
  • Definition and preparation of an ICT observatory.
  • Future of business applications in Algeria (both web and desktop) (Potential and prospects in the economic and legal context.)
  • RIA / RDA (Rich Internet / Desktop Applications) potential in different markets (B2B, B2C and consumer).

People interested in participating and wanting to be part of the community can sign up through the following website: BarCamp Débats & Idées (FR).

For more information and details about BarCamp Algeria, you can check out the official BarCamp Alger 3 page (FR).

Dubai Twestival Local 2009, Jam Jar Gallery, September 12th ’09

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Dubai Twestival Local 2009Dubai will be hosting Dubai Twestival Local on this coming Saturday, one of the 200 Twestival Local events taking place in leading cities around the world, based around the social media service Twitter, using its power to support local causes.

Dubai Twestival Local (@dubaitwestival) aims to raise money and awareness for Dubai Autism Center, a non-profit organisation Founded in November 2001, set-up to help integrate children with autism into the community and raise social awareness for autism.

Dubai Twitter users, or ‘tweeps’ as they call themselves, will converge on The Jam Jar gallery in Al Quoz on Saturday 12 September 2009 to meet other members of the Twitter community and support Dubai Autism Center (@dubaiautism) at an informal networking event sponsored by Nokia (@nokconv), ShopandShip.com (powered by Aramex, @shopnship) and Nahel.com (@naheldotcom).

“We’re delighted to have been able to organise Dubai Twestival Local during the holy month of Ramadan, since giving is at the core of the Twestival concept and is the reason that the event has been given such fantastic support from volunteers and sponsors,” said Prashant K. Gulati (@pkgulati), one of the co-organisers of the Dubai Twestival. “We’re proud to support Dubai Autism Centre, since, sadly, recognition for autism and understanding those that suffer from the condition and their families is still very low worldwide. We hope that the Twestival will make a worthwhile contribution to autism awareness in the Emirates.”

The Emirates’ Twitter community has grown rapidly since the service was unblocked by the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) last year and about 6,000 are currently estimated to use the service in the Emirates, up from just 500 Twitter users at the time of the first Dubai Twestival in February of this year! Global usage of Twitter grew by 1,460 percent over the past year and the micro-blogging platform now boasts 44.5 million users (according to Comscore, June 2009).

The Twestival is organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of the money raised by these events goes directly to charities. Twestival events are also being organised around the Middle East, with events taking place in Abu Dhabi, UAE; Amman, Jordan; Doha, Qatar; and Beirut, Lebanon.

Hopes are that Dubai Twestival Local will build on the success of February’s Twestival Global networking event which helped both raise awareness for Twitter in the UAE and for Charity: Water.

Twitter users who wish to attend Dubai Twestival Local should follow @dubaitwestival for daily updates on the event, and can register to attend at the official site: Dubai Twestival Local.

Bedaya Angel Network’s First Pitching Session For Startups

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Bedaya Angel NetworkA group of 10 Angel investors gathered in Jordan to attend the first match-making event for the newly created Bedaya Angel Network, where 20 pre-selected entrepreneurs got to pitch their projects to the investors.

Entrepreneurs were given 20 minutes to present their project and explain why they were looking for investment. Presentations were followed by another 20 minutes with questions from the attending Business Angels about their project’s details and concept, business development, the market for their project and what any eventually invested money would be used for.

The Bedaya Angel Network initiative was launched only a few months ago, in May of 2009, and has attracted over 30 important figures from the Jordanian investment, business and economic development communities.

The founding institutions of the Bedaya Angel Network are: the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship, the iPark business incubator and the Arab Science and Technology Foundation. It is supported by the European program Medibtikar.

The goal behind the creation of Bedaya is to offer national financing vehicles for innovative business startups as part of the El Hassan Science City’s mandate to foster knowledge-based enterprises with a promising potential for growth. The network will be offering investments for early stage start-ups with a focus on science and technology.

Bedaya Angel Network - Match-making Event

The process starts with the selection of entrepreneurs who are looking for funding and giving the ones that are most ready the opportunity to pitch their projects to an audience of business angels at match-making events that should be held every 2 months.

Before pitching to investors, the entrepreneurs received special full-day training and coaching by Mr. Nelson Grey, a seasonal expert on business angel investments.

The next Bedaya pitching session is planned to happen next October.

[Business Angels are private individuals willing to invest their own money into high growth potential startups; not only offering money to the companies they invest in, but also a lot of experience and their personal business networks.]