Twelve of the Arab world's most promising and remarkable young innovators beat thousands of rival applicants to be selected as candidates on the 7th season of Stars of Science, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development ‘s (QF) "edutainment reality" TV program on MBC4. This selection concludes the casting phase and marks the onset of the highly competitive engineering stage of the program, in which candidates work tirelessly with mentors to turn their concepts into prototypes; further advancing QF's mission of unlocking human potential in the next generation of aspiring young science and technology innovators. Chosen candidates have roots in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Tunisa, reflecting the diversity that has characterized Stars of Science since its inception. Their distinct inventions feature smart technology that can solve problems in fields as varied as medical diagnostics, mobility for the physically challenged, sports, renewable energy and nutrition. On the first three episodes of Stars of Science, thousands of applicants from across the Middle East and North Africa were screened in a multi-country casting tour by a panel of highly experienced jurors. In the latest Majlis episode, jury members selected twelve of the seventeen shortlisted applicants to become candidates, advancing them to the next phase of the competition, held at Qatar Science & Technology Park, a member of Qatar Foundation. As candidates enter the critical engineering stage, which spans three episodes, they compete against each other in three separate groups labeled; blue, red and purple. To promote both teamwork and friendly rivalry, each group develops their inventions in the same laboratory. There, they benefit from the advice and support of mentors, who are professionals in many fields, including engineering, design, executive coaching and psychology. The innovators' efforts — showcased in one episode per group of four candidates — will be evaluated by an expert jury. Two candidates per group will advance to the next stage of the program. The blue group contains the Kingdom's Hassan Albalawi, who will develop his idea for an "EEG Cap Analyzer." He will join Egypt's Hazem Khaled ("Sign Language EMG Sleeve"), Palestine's Nadim Rifai ("Rewarding Behavior Treadmill"), and Tunisia's Naouel Ayari ("Smart Refrigerator"). The red group will feature Lebanon's Adib Al Ghossein ("Ergonomic Activity Desk Lamp"), Syria's Yaman Abou Jieb ("Solar Washing Machine"), Jordan's Maymoona Ayesh ("Date Pits Filter in Desalination"), and Algeria's Mourad Mohamed Benosman("ECG Wearable Stress Analyzer"). The purple group will see the KSA's Abdullah Aldossary work on a prototype of his "Airport Smart Chair," along with Tunisia'sFawzy Othman ("Robotic Goalie Trainer"), Egypt's Omar Hamid ("Prayer Chair"), and Palestine's Hussam Al Hinnawi ("Automatic Stair Climber Machine"). "With each season, the quality, scope and variety of the inventions presented continue to increase," said Youssif Abdulrahman, longtime juror and General Manager of Qatar Shell Research and Technology Center (QSRTC). "While this trend speaks to the great skill of Arab innovators in shaping the future of science and technology, it turns evaluation into an especially challenging task. The journey these young people are embarking on will be greatly inspiring for many, driving interest in science and technology innovation in the region," he continued. Khalid Al Jumaily, who has taken viewers through the many captivating moments of previous seasons, is returning to host this seventh edition of Stars of Science, as candidates work toward realizing their visions. This seventh season will culminate in a live final, where both the jury and viewers will decide which candidates will share the prize money of $600,000. — SG
