Dubai: The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) for the 2022 Fifa World Cup launched the UAE leg of its ‘Challenge 22’ initiative on Saturday.
Members of the SC interacted informally with stakeholders of the UAE leg of the initiative before details were handed out to those attending. The UAE leg has got a new punch line that urges youngsters to ‘Find your idea’ and make a sustainable contribution to the region through the initiative.
The ‘Challenge 22’ initiative had a formal launch in Doha on January 21, following which members of the SC made pit-stops in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain before Saturday’s final stop in the UAE.
For the moment, the initiative is open to all contestants above 18 years residing in one of the six Gulf nations. The initiative is meant to be an innovation award developed by the SC in coordination with Silatech and the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) with the aim of inspiring and challenging the brightest minds in the region to build a lasting legacy around the Fifa World Cup 2022.
The UAE leg of the initiative was launched by Abdul Aziz Al Maulawi, Senior Engineer, SC in the presence of several high-ranking SC members. “We recognise the challenges before us as we start building up to such a global event like a Fifa World Cup. We have a timeline for the actual organisation, but at the same time we had to look at what could benefit future generations,” Al Maulawi told Gulf News.
Sustainability, use of green materials in construction, making matches accessible while enhancing match experiences for spectators and inculcating healthy lifestyles are among the challenges listed down by the working group.
“At this stage we cannot just go ahead and start building the various stadia as they would look old by the time the World Cup kicks off. There is a time schedule for that. What we need to do at the moment is engage and involve our youth so that they can contribute to the development of the region through innovative ideas,” he added.
The SC has appointed four ambassadors to promote the ‘Challenge 22’ initiative in the Gulf led by former Qatari tennis player and television presenter Mohammad Saadon Al Kuwari, Kuwaiti entrepreneur Areej Al Kharafi, owner of Fortune Cookie and The Other Project, Saudi Arabia’s football legend Sami Al Jaber and Freej cartoon creator Mohammad Saeed Hareb of the UAE.
The last date for submitting short proposals about innovative ideas is March 3, which will be followed by the announcement of results on April 2. The final results will be announced on June 15-16 when the winners will walk away with the top prize of $20,000. The official website www.challenge22.qa offers more information about the initiative.
