MAKKAH: The four day Memory from Makkah Createathon, a competition that challenged participants to come up creative ideas for gifts and souvenirs designed for visitors to Makkah, especially Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, concluded on Tuesday with the announcement of the winning entries. The event, organized by the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, attracted 100 entrants. The SR20,000 ($5,330) first prize was awarded to a team led by Alaa Zaatari for The Laden Ship, a board game for players of all ages designed to promote Islamic values and enrich morals. The second prize, worth SR10,000, went to a team led by Sarah Al-Numan for an electronic siwak, or tooth-cleaning stick. A team led by Areej Abdul Majeed took the SR5,000 third prize for Memory of a Lifetime Journey, a magnetic board on which visitors to the holy cities can record and display the memories and feelings from their trip. The jury honored a further 21 teams with incentive rewards in recognition of their creative, quality projects. Sponsors Wadi Makkah Technology Company and Al-Makan announced that they will assist entrants with the development of their ideas, with Al-Makan providing the three winners with fully equipped office space for a month at the Makkah Center for Entrepreneurship and Business, while Wadi Makkah will sponsor the projects for three months. Hisham Kaaki, chairman of the board of directors at MCCI, said that the chamber is keen to support all efforts that serve the local business community, in line with the objectives of Makkah’s development strategy and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 development and diversification agenda, by forming constructive partnerships and supporting initiatives that encourage young people to develop creative ideas in various fields that help boost Makkah’s profile and reputation. Mohammed Burhan Seifeddine, a member of the MCCI board and general supervisor of its Studies and Research Center, said: “Integration, cooperation and collaboration between the government and private sector have resulted in this intellectual and creative event. “All of these projects support local production and will strengthen the gifts and souvenirs sector, and emphasize our community’s innovation and the patriotism shown by many academics and professionals who volunteered to participate in the guidance committees.” He added that Wadi Makkah’s three-month sponsorship of the projects will help with their development as they move toward a successful launch. During the four-day Createathon, the participants received guidance and advice from experts in a number of fields, including technology, information, design, marketing and the arts, to help them develop and refine their ideas and turn them into a potentially commercial products consistent with the aims and work of the MCCI. Meanwhile, a number of local craftsmen displayed their work in an exhibition that accompanied the event’s closing ceremony.