Olives, pistachios inspire young Gaza designers
Two students from the Gaza Strip won a regional package-design competition using sustainable materials to meet local needs, and their work is now being evaluated for world recognition.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — For two young Palestinian designers, inspiration came from objects close to home: a pistachio and an olive leaf.
Ahmad al-Zoum and Saher Abdel Hamid, both 20 years old, are the winners of the Arab Student Starpack Award in the Structural Packaging category for Palestine. The contest, organized jointly by the UN Industrial Development Organization and Lebanese packaging center Libanpack, is the first regional packaging competition in the Arab World for Arab university students.
As the winners from Palestine, they are now eligible to compete for the wider WorldStar Awards. The judging is currently underway and the winners will be announced in January.
The two students were informed about the contest by Mohammed al-Halabi, their graphic design instructor at the Gaza Community/Training College, and entered the contest together with six other students in the college. The entrants faced tough competition from other Palestinian participants studying for bachelor's and master's degrees.
