Sponsored for the fourth time by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders (SME), Dubai Women's College (DWC) inaugurated today its 17th annual Bazaar which runs from the 12th December to 14th.

Bazaar 2006 was opened by his Excellency Ahmed Humaid Al-Tayer, former minister of finance and industry and communications, and Chairman of Emirates international Bank and Commercial bank of Dubai, and was attended by Dr. Tayb Kamali, Vice Chancellor of Higher Colleges 0f Technology (HCT), Dr. Howard Reed, Senior Director of HCT and Director of DWC, other dignitaries, members of the local business community, and DWC staff members, students and graduates. .

The annual event is an integral part of the curriculum, integrated across all programs which provide students with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills, learned in the classroom, in practical ways and working with real life businesses. Groups of students create an original business concept to implement at event. Students begin by presenting a mini business plan to a panel of teachers to obtain their "trading license". Upon approval, students prepare a detailed plan of tasks to be done with a timeline. During the event, students take responsibility for all aspects of their business including purchasing, production, setup, pricing, promotion, and customer service. After the event, students write a reflective final report and presentation analyzing what they have learned during the project.

DWC students and guests were reminded during the opening ceremony of the New York Times' selection of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and ruler of Dubai, as the entrepreneur of the year for his economic achievements. Dubai's Shopping Festival, one of His Highness achievements, is the brain child of Sawsan Al Diwani, a DWC graduate, who benefited greatly from participating in the College's Bazaar and decided later to create an emirate's wide event which runs annually with great success.

This year, SME and DWC are offering an award for the most entrepreneurial student business which will be announced during the closing ceremony on the 14th. The award is to be decided by a team of three assessors: a DWC member, SME member, and a third one from Fortune Promoseven, the Middle East's largest advertising agency network. The winner has to meet a wide range of business management and excellence criterion provided by SME.

Bazaar 2006 involves several activities including: children's area, blood donation drive, health screening and assessments, poetry competition, charity fund raising, and a large variety of small businesses. 'The benefits our students gain from participating in the annual Bazaar are countless and this year the number of students' business booths increased by %20 (145 booths in 2005 and 175 in 2006). The fact that our graduates remain the strongest in Dubai's market is a result of our commitment to providing strong education,' Said Dr. Reed.