day exhibition entitled ‘With Our Hands We Create Our Futures' is being held at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Jeddah. It is sponsored by Princess Sitta Bint Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, who also inaugurated the grand creative expo. The exhibition promotes creativity and serves as a strong platform for small scale businesses who wish to gain recognition in the community and hopefully take off from there. Over 140 students have participated to showcase around 100 small business projects which they have masterminded and designed. “The strongly felt support of Princess Sitta for the exhibition has motivated a large number of students to take part in its activities. KAU aims to help our students develop leadership skills, business skills, and to discover their own talents and gifts through the wide range of activities and events we host,” said Dr. Abdullah Bin Mostafa Mahraji, dean of students' affairs at KAU. Such exhibitions help develop a work culture among the younger generations, where young women are encouraged and trained in becoming producers rather than mere consumers. The dean of students' affairs in the girls' section of KAU, Dr. Manal Madini said that the exhibition is an annual event and has often been a starting point for many small businesses, out of which some have become very successful and profitable. Participants can advertise and market the products that they have designed and in many cases they are handmade. Students also attend forums and lectures from professionals that will help them in their marketing endeavors. At the end all projects will be evaluated and judged, and the best businesses with the most favorable and unique ideas will receive valuable awards. “The university concentrates on the skills development of our students. The youth have an abundance of free time on their hands and the exhibition With Our Hands We Create Our Futures prompts students to make beneficial use of their time and to make every minute count. The exhibition helps the students transform their innovative ideas into real products that can earn these women a degree of financial independence and also benefit their society. Today's marketplace in Saudi Arabia focuses on building a better tomorrow with the hands of the young ones,” said Madini. __
