“During the development stage of Snoonu, I never moved away from Education City, because I participated in training workshops and programmes there to promote entrepreneurship,” said Snoonu chief executive al-Hajri, a graduate of QF partner university HEC Paris in Qatar.
“I am pleased to create this partnership with the QF, which is my ‘first home’, with the aim of providing jobs and opportunities for graduates,” he added.
Snoonu started as a graduation project while al-Hajri was studying at HEC Paris in Qatar, being awarded its Best Project of the Year 2017; since then it has become one of the fastest-growing startups in Qatar.
Through Snoonu’s new partnership with the QF – sealed through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at this week’s first QF Alumni Reunion – employment opportunities will be provided for QF graduates in the fields of engineering, computer, Artificial Intelligence (AI), marketing, product management, and project management.
“QF graduates have the skill of quickly acquiring information, continuous learning, sincerity, and passion for their work, which are important for the success of any pioneering project,” said al-Hajri. “That is why we have great hopes for QF graduates and the positive impact they will make.”
Since his graduation, al-Hajri has trained and supported QF students in entrepreneurship programmes, with Snoonu having a technical office at the QF’s Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP).
“Through our office at the QSTP, I train a number of startup projects,” he explained. “We have training programmes for students, where we use a part-time employee programme, which has witnessed many successful entrepreneurs.”
"Snoonu supports these projects, in fields such as robotics, AI, and product recommendations to customers, al-Hajri added. “Through this, we aim to motivate and support young people to create successful projects, which in turn will create jobs.”
Snoonu entered the Omani market this month and aims to spread to 10 new markets by 2024, with Kuwait, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia next on this list.
It currently has 400 employees in the field of technology and information technology, as well as 2,500 drivers, and supports 4,000 entrepreneurs.
It aims to employ 1,000 people by 2023.
Through his company, al-Hajri says he wants to contribute to enhancing Qatar’s global position in the field of emerging projects and hopes that its success will “reinforce our belief in our ability to retain projects and startups within the country so they can contribute to developing our economy”.
He credits the QF with providing him with the knowledge to become an executive director capable of managing a group of companies, such as the skills of developing strategies and building investment plans – and says these are capabilities he wants to help other QF students develop.
His advice to entrepreneurs is: “In the field of entrepreneurship, there is no place for fear. Each graduate must first be brave and demonstrate the determination to implement their project and work hard to develop it.”
“This is the key to the success of any project, and from here, the will is strengthened, and bigger dreams are born,” al-Hajri stressed.