Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development announces winners of ‘Khalifa Fund Entrepreneurship Competition’

The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development has announced the winners of the 2nd Khalifa Fund Entrepreneurship Competition, which recognises Abu Dhabi’s most promising startups for their excellence in developing practical solutions to real-world challenges across various economic sectors.

The competition witnessed strong participation, attracting 509 entrepreneurs, startups and young talents.

During the evaluation stage, 57 startups qualified to join an intensive bootcamp, including 28 from Abu Dhabi, 21 from Al Ain Region and eight from Al Dhafra Region, where they took part in mentorship and guidance programmes that enabled them to refine their ideas and prepare for the final stages of the competition.

In the Entrepreneur Awards category, Hadef Alhameli won the Agriculture Sector Award for developing an AI-powered application that assesses the quality of dates at a speed of up to 80 dates per second.

In the Fintech Sector, Mohammed Al Nasri won for developing an investment-learning platform that enables users to practice investment mechanisms and enhances financial literacy. Dr. Omar Najim was recognised for his achievements and contributions to strengthening the UAE’s medical and life sciences ecosystem.

Ali Alhashmi and Abdulrahman Alhashmi won the Energy Sector Award for developing an electric charger capable of charging several vehicles at the same time. Mohamed Al Mehairbi won the Tourism Sector Award for designing an integrated platform to manage events, registration processes and ticketing, while facilitating judging and winner’s selection.

In the Innovation Awards category, the AI Award was presented to Afra Alahbabi for developing an Arabic-language AI assistant that automates medical record documentation and administrative tasks for doctors, and to Hind Aljneibi for developing an AI-powered assistant that automatically grades students’ paper-based and digital work.

Mohammed Almehrezi won the Sustainability Award for developing smart solutions that use solar-powered sensors and controllers, supported by an AI-enabled platform, to reduce water consumption in irrigation by 20 to 50 percent. Fahad Alaleeli and Muhammed Shaju won the Robotics Award for developing AI-powered autonomous drones designed to clean solar panels without human intervention.

In the Game Development Programme, Huda Hilal Al Henaei and Al Rayan Hilal Al Henaei won for their game Al Ain Legends, a cultural adventure game inspired by Emirati heritage. The game offers an interactive experience that combines entertainment with an introduction to national identity through a virtual journey across Al Ain Region including palm oases, the historic Qasr Al Muwaiji, central fountains and stone walls.

The award follows their participation in the summer camp organised by the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Region and Al Dhafra Region over five days, with the participation of more than 90 students aged between 13 and 18 years. Participants successfully designed and launched 40 games that combined digital skills, artificial intelligence technologies, and a focus on the authenticity and depth of Emirati heritage.

In the Future Entrepreneur Programme, student Abdulla Abdulkarim Al Baloushi won for his project EcoDrive, a solar-powered car designed as a sustainable transport solution. The project features an integrated system that includes solar panels to generate energy, a controller to regulate charging flow, batteries to store energy, an electric motor and a lightweight structure that ensures high performance efficiency, while helping to reduce emissions and fuel costs. The project stands out for its potential to be developed into a commercial venture in the clean technology sector, as well as its ability to provide solutions to environmental and economic challenges.

The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development continues to support and encourage entrepreneurs, startups and small- and medium-sized enterprises to innovate by launching programmes that enhance the competitiveness of Abu Dhabi’s business environment.

These programmes include the Abu Dhabi SME Champions Programme, which supports the growth and development of SMEs in Abu Dhabi; the SME Export Enablement Programme, which enhances the global competitiveness of companies and supports their access to international markets; the Light Manufacturing Accelerator, which provides comprehensive support through an ecosystem that connects entrepreneurs with manufacturers, government entities, industrial partners and specialised clusters; the SME Finance Facilitator Programme, which aims to simplify commercial bank account opening procedures and improve access to financing and credit solutions that meet business needs; and the ICV Certification Readiness Programme, which supports SMEs in meeting eligibility criteria to participate in government tenders.