Environment

Two student-led teams from Saudi Arabia and Morocco have been named winners of the Alshaya Starbucks Sustainability in Action Award at this year’s INJAZ Al-Arab Youth Entrepreneurship Celebration (YEC) 2025 in Cairo. Their innovative projects highlighted how young entrepreneurs across the Arab region are turning sustainability challenges into impactful, real-world solutions.

Winning Projects: Clear Flow and Sparks

In the high school category, Clear Flow from Saudi Arabia impressed judges with its proposal to reduce single-use coffee cup waste. Their initiative introduced a returnable cup system connected to a digital app, EcoCup, which integrates with Starbucks Rewards to track and incentivize sustainable cup usage. The project also incorporated lifecycle planning — including collection, cleaning, and recycling — to promote circular waste management.

In the university category, Sparks from Morocco developed a digital rewards platform that encourages customers to adopt sustainable habits. Through the app, users can scan a QR code after eco-friendly actions in Starbucks stores — such as recycling, using personal cups, or collecting used coffee grounds — earning EcoPoints redeemable via the Starbucks Rewards system.

Empowering Young Changemakers

Mohammad Mahmoud, Senior Vice President of Starbucks at Alshaya Group, and one of the award judges, said:

“Clear Flow and Sparks demonstrate how youth creativity can turn sustainability goals into practical impact. These innovations align deeply with Starbucks’ values, and we’re proud to support the next generation of changemakers leading our region toward a more sustainable future.”

Akef Aqrabawi, President and CEO of INJAZ Al-Arab / JA MENA, added:

“The winning teams exemplify how youth-led innovation can address sustainability challenges using technology and creativity. Through our partnership with Alshaya Starbucks, we’re helping young people across MENA gain the skills and confidence to turn ideas into action.”

Celebrating Regional Entrepreneurship

YEC 2025 featured 22 finalist teams from 12 countries and recognized excellence across multiple categories:

• Company of the Year: Qeshour (Oman, University Track), Ecorock (Palestine, High School Track)

• Product of the Year: Rooh (KSA, University Track), Raicom (UAE, High School Track)

• Global Impact Award: Catalyth (Tunisia, University Track), Peelup (Bahrain, High School Track)

• Innovative Award: LYNQ (Bahrain, University Track), Neuromove (Lebanon, High School Track)

About the Award

The Alshaya Starbucks Sustainability in Action Award forms part of the EmpowerME program — a three-year partnership between The Starbucks Foundation, Alshaya Group, and INJAZ Al-Arab/JA MENA. The initiative provides Arab youth with entrepreneurial training, sustainability awareness, and hands-on experience. In its first year alone, EmpowerME has reached more than 86,000 young people across the region.

About Starbucks at Alshaya Group

Operating over 2,000 stores in 13 countries, Starbucks at Alshaya Group brings together global coffee expertise and local insight to deliver high-quality, ethically sourced coffee while nurturing human connection and community engagement across the Middle East and North Africa.

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