- The diploma provides prospects with fundamental hardware entrepreneurship skills
- The programme falls under the umbrella of the Al Quoz Creative Zone and was launched as part of the Makers’ Month.
Graduates from the innovative Mobtakir programme were presented their diplomas on Saturday, October 14, 2023, by officials from Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), Dubai SME and Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy. The diploma, which is accredited by the KHDA, was launched in May of this year, ran for a total duration of 12 weeks and involved 100 hours of training and practice. In total, 20 graduates were awarded the diploma. Mobtakir is a maker diploma and fast-track programme to equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge and basic hands-on skills, in addition to local market know-how necessary to venture into innovative product-based startups.
Mobtakir was launched under the umbrella of the Makers’ Month programming within Al Quoz Creative Zone and is supported by The Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Dubai SME), a subsidiary of Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). The diploma, which includes 14 modules and workshops, was delivered across a host of venues in Al Quoz by experts from different technical and creative disciplines, highlighting the vast array of resources available to makers in the area, as well as helping to create a community of like-minded, locally conceived, capable and resourceful makers with localised market knowledge and capabilities.
Khulood Khoory, Director of the Projects & Events Department at Dubai Culture, said: “Dubai Culture, in its collaborations, is dedicated to empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs. Dubai is renowned for its attractive and supportive environment for the cultural and creative industries. Through initiatives like Mobtakir, we aim to further enliven this ecosystem by offering a platform to gain knowledge from international best practices, learn vital skills, and unlock their creativity. This programme equips participants with the skills they need and opens doors for them to transform their innovative ideas into successful and sustainable projects.”
The diploma, which was launched in collaboration with the UAE’s first purpose-built material library – Colab – incorporated soft and hard skill development in three main areas and culminated in the implementation of learnings via a Makathon competition between allocated groups and assigned projects. A total of 25 candidates were shortlisted for the programme, which featured a host of topics including hardware entrepreneurship, product conceptualization, manufacturing fundamentals, CAD design, IP protection, additive and subtractive manufacturing, DIY fundamentals and business modules as well as a field trip to key facilities in Al Quoz and other industrial zones across Dubai.
All through September, the participants were involved in a one-month practical challenge as a simulation of a hardware entrepreneurship journey, engaging in rapid and collaborative product development, prototyping and business planning of innovative product-based ventures. This allowed them the opportunity to apply the learnings from the earlier modules, working resourcefully in small teams to conceptualize an innovative product, research its technical and commercial feasibility, design and rapid prototype it, develop a business plan for commercialization and manufacturing and finally pitch the innovation as a startup venture to a judge panel. The winning team included Mona Zayed Rashed, Salama Al Hajeri, Hajar Al Ansari, and Manar Al Marzouqi.
Abdelaziz Almaazmi, Director of Business Incubation, Department of Economy and Tourism, commented: “The Mobtakir programme and the maker diploma underpinning it are a manifestation of years of close collaboration between different industry experts and stakeholders from the public and private sectors in Dubai all sharing a unified mission to inspire and empower the local maker communities and innovative startups As we celebrate the graduation of these talented individuals, we also recognise this is a testament to the strength of our partnership with Dubai Culture. Together, we have set the stage for aspiring entrepreneurs to embark on their journey after obtaining a profound understanding of local markets, the skills to develop groundbreaking products, and the vision to drive change. We are committed to supporting this initiative and also the various industry partners who play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the Mobtakir programme.”
Mobtakir attracted over 150 candidates, from which 25 were selected to participate in this edition. The graduates come from diverse fields in both the public and private sectors and from the healthcare, technology, creative, and manufacturing industries among others. They were divided into 5 teams for the month-long Makathon challenge and mentored by industry experts throughout the process, which involved ongoing review meetings, supervised fabrication and prototyping, and constant feedback. This at the end demonstrated the application of acquired skills through an accelerated process that simulates the typical journey of a hardware startup, concluding the ‘Mobtakir’ journey with a tangible entrepreneurial experience in the field of hardware entrepreneurship.
“Mobtakir initially aimed to build on a prior maker diploma that was developed and launched in 2018 by the Department of Economy and Tourism in collaboration with OriginBase. However, this latest iteration factored in all of the modules from the earlier programme to offer prospects an enhanced learning process and holistic experience that aims to elevate and empower the maker community in the UAE. A massive thanks goes out to all the partners who contributed to the success of Mobtakir, particularly Precision Plastics, United Trademark and Patent Services, C3D, Accumech, CNC, Falcon Group, Tashkeel, and in5 Design Lab. Congratulations to the winners and all graduates. This is just the beginning!” concluded Richard Wilson, Founder & Creative Director, Colab.
About Dubai Culture & Arts Authority:
Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is committed to enriching Dubai’s cultural scene based on the UAE’s heritage, and is building bridges of constructive dialogue between various cultures to enhance Dubai’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.
Dubai Culture is keen on reviving and preserving the emirate’s historical heritage and developing the regulatory frameworks for the cultural and creative sector in line with its strategic roadmap 2020 – 2025.
The Authority also seeks to empower the enablers that seek to support talent and stimulate active participation from society members by investing in the various cultural and heritage assets under its remit, including the management of six heritage sites, five museums, Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children and eight Dubai Public Library branches, all of which help contribute to creating an economic system that stimulates the cultural and creative industries.
About Al Quoz Creative Zone:
The Al Quoz Creative Zone project is an integrated creative system that meets the requirements of creative talent and cultural and creative entrepreneurs wishing to invest in various areas of the creative economy. It also enhances the value of this region as a regional and global hub for embracing designers and talent for production, living and entertainment.
This industrial area, which has begun to gradually transform into a creative space, is in line with the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy and will serve as an integrated hub for all services, licenses and permits related to creative businesses. It will feature multi-purpose spaces and host art workshops, in addition to providing a smart online rental platform that will enable companies and organizations to offer rental spaces to creatives across Dubai at affordable prices.
About Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET):
With the ultimate vision of making Dubai the world’s leading commercial centre, investment hub and tourism destination, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is mandated to support the government in positioning the emirate as a major hub for global economy and tourism, and in boosting the city’s economic and tourism competitiveness indicators, in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, which aims to double the size of the emirate’s economy and consolidate its position among the top three global cities over the next decade.
Under this remit, DET is driving efforts to further enhance Dubai’s diversified, innovative service-based economy to attract top global talent, deliver a world-class business environment and accelerate productivity growth. Additionally, DET is supporting Dubai’s vision to become the world’s best city to live and work in by promoting its diverse destination proposition, unique lifestyle and outstanding quality of life, overall.
DET is the principal authority for planning, supervising, developing and marketing Dubai’s business and tourism sectors. It is also responsible for licensing and classifying all types of businesses, including hotels, tour operators and travel agents. The DET portfolio includes Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), Dubai Business Licence Corporation (DBLC), Dubai Corporation for Consumer Protection and Fair Trade (DCCPFT), Dubai SME, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) and Dubai College of Tourism (DCT).
About Colab:
Colab is the first purpose-built material library in the UAE. Located in Building 1b, Dubai Design District (d3), Colab is a social business venture that functions primarily as a material library and inspiration and learning center. The space aims to elevate design across the region by offering a platform to showcase the latest materials and design trends from across the globe whilst highlighting excellence in regional design as well. It also serves as a gallery, event and activation space, and networking hub in its bid to bring the entire creative community together.
