Sharjah24: The College of Business Administration at the University of Sharjah, in collaboration with the Mohamed Hilal Group, has launched the second edition of the MADA Competition. Designed to provide students from universities across the UAE with hands-on marketing experience, the competition allows participants to apply their creative skills and gain practical expertise in marketing the Khaltat brand. A total of 74 teams, representing 16 universities, have registered for this year’s competition.
The launch ceremony was attended by Prof. Salah Taher Al Haj, Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs at the University of Sharjah; Prof. Ilhan Ozturk, Dean of the College of Business Administration; and representatives from the Mohamed Hilal Group, led by Ms. Rasha Dahnous, Executive Director of the Khaltat brand. Also present were members of the organizing committee, faculty, and university students from across the country.
Importance of collaboration
During the event, Prof. Salah Taher Al Haj welcomed the attendees and praised the fruitful collaboration between the University and the Mohamed Hilal Group. He emphasized the significance of partnerships between academic institutions and the private sector in serving the community and equipping students with the necessary training to prepare them for real-world challenges and opportunities. He also commended the competition for promoting creative thinking among students and providing them with a platform to apply their ideas in a professional setting.
Messages from Leaders
In a recorded video message, Mohamed Hilal, CEO of the Mohamed Hilal Group expressed his gratitude to the University of Sharjah for hosting the competition. He reiterated his confidence in the students' abilities to generate innovative marketing concepts and fresh perspectives for brand promotion. Highlighting the vital role of marketing in today's world, he stressed the importance of equipping students with modern marketing skills and bridging the gap between academic studies and industry demands.
Focus on cutting-edge strategies
Prof. Ilhan Ozturk echoed these sentiments, emphasising the necessity of providing students with cutting-edge marketing strategies tailored to the Khaltat brand. Meanwhile, Narjes Haj-Salem, associate professor at the College of Business Administration and chair of the organizing committee, provided a detailed overview of the competition’s structure, selection criteria, and timeline. She explained that the competition focuses on developing innovative marketing strategies for the brand, with winning teams receiving cash prizes of up to AED 60,000.00, along with the opportunity to implement their marketing plans in a real-world business environment.