Doha: The Social Development Center "NAMA," part of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work, concluded the first edition of the Social Innovation Forum 2025, held today under the patronage and presence of HE Minister of Social Development and Family and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi.
According to Qatar News Agency, the event brought together a group of decision-makers, experts, and stakeholders in social development. Supported by the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund (DAAM), the forum highlighted social innovation's role in building a more inclusive and effective development ecosystem. It emphasized the importance of empowering institutions and communities to create innovative solutions that respond to beneficiaries' needs and adapt to evolving regional and global challenges.
The inaugural edition of the forum marked a step toward establishing a comprehensive national framework for social innovation. It showcased local and international perspectives and experiences that underscored the need to develop new models for social work and adopt innovative practices enhancing the quality of services provided to beneficiaries. This aligns with Qatar National Vision 2030, which places human development at its core and calls for a knowledge-based economy and modern approaches to make social work more sustainable and impactful.
The forum reflects NAMA Center's commitment to contributing to the four pillars of the national vision, particularly the social pillar focused on building a cohesive society, the human pillar emphasizing investment in individual capabilities, and the economic pillar encouraging diversification and development of non-traditional sectors, notably social innovation.
During keynote speeches and panel discussions, speakers addressed the importance of transitioning from traditional methods to more advanced systems in designing and implementing social programs, paving the way for more flexible and creative models.
The forum also witnessed the signing of several agreements and partnerships aimed at supporting the social innovation ecosystem and enhancing its role in serving the community. An exhibition featured schools and supporters in social entrepreneurship, showcasing promising youth-led initiatives that transformed ideas into impactful social projects.
As part of the forum's activities, NAMA Center announced the winners of the second edition of the Social Entrepreneurship Award across three categories: Secondary Schools, Best Existing Project, and Best Project Idea. The winning initiatives were honored for their efforts in developing sustainable and scalable solutions that align with the award's goals of promoting a culture of social entrepreneurship and fostering youth initiative.
Top honors were awarded to boys from Qatar Leadership Academy and girls from Al Bayan Secondary School for Girls (1st place), boys from Al Rayyan Private School and girls from Al Wakra Secondary School for Girls (2nd place), boys from Jassim bin Hamad Secondary School and girls from Rabaa Al-Adawiya Secondary School for Girls (3rd place).
Individual awards included Samah Abdulkarim Qassem for Best Project Idea with "Kanar Project", and Mohamed Wafiq for Best Existing Project with "Wafiq Technology".
Executive Director of NAMA Center Ghanem Salah Al Ali stated that the forum's success confirms Qatar's strong foundation of talented and innovative youth capable of developing impactful solutions that meet societal needs. Executive Director of the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund (DAAM) Abdulrahman Abdulatif Al Manaei emphasized that the fund's support for the Social Innovation Forum stems from its core responsibility to promote national initiatives aimed at modernizing the social work ecosystem.
He expressed the fund's commitment to empowering the forum as an effective platform for generating innovative solutions and supporting the state's efforts to embed innovation as a key tool for achieving comprehensive development goals. He added that their sponsorship of this event aligns with their strategy to support projects with sustainable social impact and to provide an environment that enables youth and institutions to transform ideas into viable initiatives. He affirmed the fund's ongoing role as a key partner in advancing innovative social work and supporting national efforts to build a society capable of meeting future demands.
NAMA Center was established in 1996 and operates under the umbrella of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work.