KUWAIT: Zain signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity (SACGC), a center of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). The MoU aims to build a new strategic partnership that focuses on elevating the digital literacy of the youth, empower creativity and innovation, and enhance the local startup ecosystem in the community. The MoU was signed at the Zain Innovation Campus (ZINC) in the company’s headquarters in Shuwaikh and was attended by Zain Kuwait CEO Eaman Al-Roudhan and SACGC GM Neda Al-Dehani.
The partnership is a fruitful result of Zain and SACGC’s joint vision to invest in the talents and skills of Kuwait’s youth to contribute to the national economy by empowering tech and digital competencies, which are highly required by today’s markets. The announcement aims to foster a joint collaboration between the two partners to achieve a number of targets, including elevating digital literacy, develop digital competencies, support the local startups ecosystem, empower Kuwaiti inventors and innovators to excel and more to serve the nation’s developmental, economic and social goals.
The partnership targets young people of 7-35 years and will include insightful programs, workshops and more to share expertise and achieve these shared goals. This agreement is the first of many projects under Zain’s all-new initiative, Innovation Nation, under which all of Zain’s innovation and entrepreneurship programs will fall, especially within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas. The initiative mainly targets the youth and centers around a number of pillars, including entrepreneurship, investment, startup acceleration, supporting inventors, fostering innovation and more.
Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity was established in 2010 as an initiative by His Highness the Late Amir and former Chairman of the board of directors of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The center was founded to nurture Kuwaiti Human capital and resource with innovation, technical knowledge and expertise to enhance the development and growth of Kuwait. SACGC is dedicated to facilitating knowledge and investing in exceptional and high achieving individuals within the entrepreneurial and innovation fields.
The center also aims to foster an environment that generates impact across the community that will, in turn, boost social, economic and cultural development. The center boasts five dedicated scientific clubs each specializing in a different area: the programing club, the robotics club, the science and math club, the electronics club and the design club. SACGC also offers support to young people and innovators who wish to execute their own projects under the supervision of the center’s engineers and trainers, offering specially designed courses to support unique projects, and even manufacturing tools and services like digital engraving, laser cutting, 3D printing and more.