Best start-up, job seeker awards set for Thursday

A panel of judges and the audience will decide the two winners of the awards for the most inspirational story of entrepreneurship and perseverance in finding a job on Thursday night.
Minister of Labor Adel Fakeih will be present at the event at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Dubbed “Israr,” Arabic for “Determination,” the awards celebrate the most successful Saudi business start-ups and dogged attempts to find jobs. There is SR200,000 in prize money at stake.
Over 40,000 online voters have cast their ballots for the awards sponsored by the ministry. In preparation for the final stage of the competition, the organizers added 500 seats to accommodate an expected last-minute rush.
Only six competitors out of 860 have made it to the final stage. The first group included four entries outlining successful attempts to finds jobs submitted by Saeed Al-Amri, Mohammed Sharaf, Nawal Al-Shummrani, and Abdullah Al-Shilaqi. In the second group, the two entries for setting up private businesses were submitted by Ali Abu Saq and Thamer Al-Farshooti.
The two winners will be awarded SR100,000 each and have their successful videos viewed at the ceremony. The labor minister will award plaques and iPads to the top 10 finalists.
Electronic voting closed on Jan. 20 for the 10 three-minute videos. The top six videos went through to the final stage.
Electronic voters make up 50 percent of the overall vote, with the audience and jury at the awards ceremony making up the other half.
The jury includes high-profile figures including Thuraya Obaid, a Shoura Council member, and Ibrahim Al-Moaiqel, director of the Human Resources Development Fund.