Choose This Year's Top Arab Innovator in Stars of Science's Live Finale on MBC4

Choose This Year's Top Arab Innovator in Stars of Science's Live Finale on MBC4

DOHA, Qatar, November 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --



The seventh season of Stars of Science, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and
Community Development's "edutainment reality" TV program on MBC4, will culminate in the
selection of the Arab world's best young innovator in the live finale this Friday,
November 20, 2015 at 7PM KSA/ 4 PM GMT.



To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7696551-choose-top-arab-innovator-stars-of-science



Combining tens of thousands of SMS and telephone votes from viewers across the region,
and with a final vote from the Stars of Science jury, Friday's finale will reveal the
ranking of four finalists.  All week, viewers have been voting via the telephone for
Algeria's Mourad Mohamed Benosman on extension number one, Syria's Yaman Abou Jieb on
extension number two, Egypt's Omar Hamid on extension number three, and the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia's Hassan Albalawi on extension number four.  Further details on the voting
can be found on http://www.starsofscience.com/English/vote-now



Stars of Science, now in its seventh year, is a competition between innovators to
develop their ideas into prototypes throughout the season, bringing to fruition QF's
vision of unlocking human potential and fostering a culture of quality and excellence.
 Following the screening of applicants from countries throughout the Arab world, jurors
selected 12 candidates between the ages of 18 and 30 to be mentored by world-class
engineers and designers at the Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) in Doha, Qatar.
Candidates focus on different aspects of the innovation process throughout engineering and
design stages, with those who fall short being eliminated.  Participants compete on skills
such as creativity, ability to work in teams and resilience in the face of the setbacks
and challenges encountered during the competition.



Mourad Mohamed Benosman, from Algeria, who holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, is a
seasoned innovator who has been awarded a patent for his 'ECG Wearable Stress Analyzer'.
 The device, named Digiheart, is a heart monitor that enhances disease prevention by
making a distinction between physical and mental stress.  Mourad's love for innovation is
only surpassed by his love for his family - he hopes to make them proud by bringing home a
victory.



Syria's Yaman Abou Jieb, who continues to inspire those around him with his creative
ways of harnessing solar energy, argues that his 'Solar Washing Machine', dubbed Glean,
will change the world for the better. Yaman hopes to leverage the power of the sun to
expand access to washing machines to the people around the world and in his country which
lacks regular access to electricity.  The words that guide him - "Don't underestimate
yourself; focus on the big picture" - have brought him tantalizingly close to a Stars of
Science victory.



Egyptian Omar Hamid, a perfectionist with a tendency to take the unconventional route,
has used his entrepreneurial skills for the social good. His 'Prayer Chair', named Sanda,
fits perfectly with this mission.  Designed for those who have difficulties performing the
physical movements of Islamic prayer, Sanda offers assistive sitting and standing in a
compact design to decrease pressure on joints during the important ritual.  For Omar, a
win would bring him closer to his goals of positively impacting the Muslim community.



The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Hassan Albalawi has remained true to his mantra
throughout the season - "when I face a problem, I don't sleep until I solve it."  Hassan
has worked relentlessly to perfect his 'EEG Cap Analyzer', named Wakecap, a device worn on
the head that detects and warns of drowsiness. As a competitor, he has used the knowledge
gained through his PhD studies in Electrical Engineering as well as everyday experiences
as a source for inspiration.  Hassan is passionate and driven to prove that the Arab world
can be a hub for innovation once more.



Viewers and jurors will come together to decide which of the four talented and
inspiring finalists will take home the grand prize of $300,000 to turn his novel idea into
a groundbreaking product.  The finalist who comes in second place will earn $150,000,
while $100,000 is awarded for third place, and $50,000 is awarded to the fourth place
finalist.



The night promises a number of additional surprises, including the announcement of
three new grants from QSTP that will be offered to three candidates from the season, worth
up to $100,000, as part of its Accelerator Program.



The exciting live finale of this season of Stars of Science, hosted by Khaled Al
Jumaily, will air on MBC4 on Friday, November 20, 2015, at 7PM KSA/ 4PM GMT. Tune in, and
help choose the next Arab innovator!



For more information please visit:
Website - http://www.starsofscience.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/StarsOfScienceTV
Twitter - https://twitter.com/starsofscience
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/StarsOfScienceTV
Instagram - https://instagram.com/starsofsciencetv



Stars of Science 



Stars of Science, an "edutainment reality" TV format initiated by Qatar Foundation, is
the region's leading innovation program.  Stars of Science fosters and advances the Arab
world's aspiring science and technology entrepreneurs. In this seventh season, 12
candidates are challenged to prove their resourcefulness during critical stages of the
innovation cycle while collaborating with industry leading mentors.  An expert panel of
jurors assesses and eliminates candidates and their innovative products in Engineering and
Design episodes until only four remain.  These four finalists vie for a share of a
$600,000 prize, determined by a jury deliberation and voting from the public.



Stars of Science airs from Friday, September 18th, to Friday, November 20th, 2015 on
MBC4. 



Qatar Foundation - Unlocking Human Potential 



Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (QF) is a private,
non-profit organization that is supporting Qatar on its journey from a carbon economy to
knowledge economy by unlocking human potential, for the benefit of not only Qatar, but the
world.  Founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir,
QF is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. 



QF's work encompasses education, research and community development.  World-class
universities are brought to Qatar to help create an education sector in which young people
can develop the attitudes and skills required for a knowledge economy. At the same time,
QF builds Qatar's innovation and technology capacity by developing and commercializing
solutions through key sciences.  The Foundation also works to foster a progressive society
while enhancing cultural life, protecting Qatar's heritage and addressing immediate social
needs in the community.



For a complete list of QF's initiatives and projects, visit http://www.qf.org.qa



About MBC Group 



MBC Group (Middle East Broadcasting Center) is the largest and leading private media
company in the Middle East & North Africa region. For the past 23 years, MBC Group was
able to enrich people's lives through information, interaction and entertainment. In 2002,
nearly a decade after the launch of MBC1 in London, back in 1991, and as the 1st private
free-to-air Arab satellite TV channel, MBC Group moved its headquarters to Dubai Media
City, United Arab Emirates, where it remains.



Today, MBC Group includes 20 TV channels: MBC1 (general family entertainment); MBC2
and MBC MAX (24-hour western movies); MBC3 (children's edutainment with a mix of both
local productions and western acquisitions); MBC4 (entertainment for young families with a
female-focus); MBC Action (an indigenous adrenaline-packed channel targeting young males
with local and homegrown productions); MBC Variety (Western films and general
entertainment with uninterrupted broadcasting); Al Arabiya News Channel (the 24-hour
Arabic language news channel); Al Hadath (an extension of Al Arabiya News Channel with a
specific focus on real events in the Arab world and beyond); Wanasah (24-hour Arabic music
channel); MBC DRAMA (24/7 Arabic drama); MBC MASR (general family entertainment geared
towards the Egyptian family); MBC MASR 2 (providing the Egyptian audience with superior
quality entertainment, in addition to live coverage of some of the Egyptian league's
football matches);  MBC + Drama (a joint paid-for channel between MBC and OSN); MBC
Bollywood (delivering the freshest in Bollywood content geared towards the region via an
Arabized interface); and most recently four sports channels, MBC PRO SPORTS (geared
towards the "Saudi Football Premier League" fans in the Kingdom); and MBC USA (the channel
is present on "Dish Network" in the US, and targets Arab audiences aboard; the channel is
dedicated to offer and broadcast a wide range of content from the prominent MBC channels
including movies, series and global formats).



In July 2011, seven channels within MBC Group began to broadcast in HD across the MENA
Region: MBC1 HD, MBC2 HD, MBC4 HD, MBC Action HD, MBC Drama HD, MBC Max HD and Al Arabiya
HD. In 2013, MBC3 HD joined the collection of HD channels followed by MBC Variety HD in
2014.



MBC Group also includes two FM radio stations: MBC FM (Gulf music) and Panorama FM
(contemporary Arabic hit music); as well as O3 Productions, a premium content drama
production company. Furthermore, MBC Group includes online platforms:
http://www.mbc.net, http://www.alarabiya.net, http://www.shahid.net (the first
free VOD and catch-up portal in the Arab world) and http://www.actionha.net, and
http://www.mbcprosports.net among others.



(Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151113/287200 )






Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151113/287200




Video:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7696551-choose-top-arab-innovator-stars-of-science


Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151113/287200
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151113/287200
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Video:http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7696551-choose-top-arab-innovator-stars-of-science
Stars of Science

CONTACT: For further information, please contact: Taylor Bossung or Hanane Rougani T +974-44364385


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