Samsung Announces ‘Launching People' Campaign in Support of Regional Talent

New campaign demonstrates Samsung's belief in the power of human potential through the use of technology to launch dreams

Dubai, UAE, 20 January 2014- Samsung Gulf Electronics has today announced the start of its ‘Launching People' campaign - an ambitious program rooted in discovering and supporting talented individuals, the best of which will be rewarded with the practical, financial and technological support they require to get their ideas off the ground.

Inspired by customer stories of great accomplishments enabled by Samsung's technology, the campaign invites passionate individuals from across the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Yemen to submit their ideas for projects in one of four categories - Fashion, Invention, Entrepreneurship and Education - in a bid to turn their dream into reality.

“Over the years we have been inspired by the many stories we have heard of people around the region who have done remarkable things with the help of our products. These stories made us realize that Samsung doesn't just launch products, we launch people - and we want to see more.” said Mr. Young Soo Kim, President of Samsung Gulf Electronics. “Launching People will provide a platform to up and coming talent in need of that extra helping hand to bring their ideasto life. The success of this campaign is tied to the success of its participants and as such we want to invite all who have an idea no matter how large or small.”

Applicants will be required to submit their ideas during the submission phase, which will run for a total of six weeks between 20 January – 3 March on the competition platform, which will be hosted on the official Samsung Gulf Facebook page and accessible from www.launchingpeople.ae.  Here, applicants will be able to find all information relevant to the campaign, as well as the mandatory application form to be completed for each submission.  

Judging the competition in the first instance will be the campaign jury, consisting of Samsung and a team of four mentors. The mentors have been carefully selected by Samsung for the expertise they have demonstrated, and prominence they have achieved, in each of their respective fields. Aside from short listing applicants in the first round, the mentors will provide the necessary practical support to the winners to help them realize their dreams. The mentors selected to represent each category are:

• Fashion: Reema Al-Banna, designer and founder of the award winning fashion label Reemami.
• Education: Dino Varkey,Group COO of GEMS Education, the world's biggest private school operator.
• Invention: Mohammad Saeed Harib, creator of the animated series Freej.
• Entrepreneurship: Fadi Malas, CEO of Just Falafel, the successful UAE born, international fast-food chain.

A list of eight shortlisted applicants decided upon by the campaign jury will be announced on 19 of March, when the competition will open to public voting to decipher the final four winners. The public voting period will close on 9 April 2014.

The Launching People campaign will beopen to individuals residing in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen and Qatar from 20 January 2014. Interested participants should log onto www.launchingpeople.ae for information on how to enter.