‘I want to make my country proud’: Emirati women embrace coding to support UAE’s digital revolution

Citizens share success stories as they harness technology to switch up their career prospects

Nouf Al Shebli, a student at the 42 Abu Dhabi coding school located in Mina Zayed warehouses district in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National

Emirati women embarking on careers in coding have urged others to seize the opportunity to “unlock their potential” as the UAE sets it sights on becoming a global centre for computer programming talent.

Citizens studying at 42 Abu Dhabi, the emirate’s tuition-free coding school, are at the forefront of a digital drive which is being embraced by the country's leadership.

About 900 coders have enrolled at the school since it opened in 2021. Today, it plans to expand its reach by teaching in the community.

The free school takes a novel approach to learning as there are no classrooms or teachers.

Students sharpen their programming skills through internships, projects, games and peer-to-peer learning.

For Nouf Al Shebli, 28, who works in the cyber security division of Dubai Police, the school has provided her with a platform to open her own business.

“My message to female Emirati coders is that coding is a crucial tool for personal development. By mastering coding, you can unlock your potential to solve problems and manage life's various aspects more effectively,” said Ms Al Shebli, an information security graduate at Zayed University.

“While studying at 42 Abu Dhabi, I cofounded a start-up named CoHub42 with my colleagues. This venture allowed us to apply our coding and entrepreneurial skills in a practical setting, focusing on creating solutions that foster collaboration among tech entrepreneurs.

“I feel 42 Abu Dhabi gives me the chance to improve my skills in coding and to manage the projects we have.”

Helping working mothers

Amna Alnaqbi, a student at the 42 Abu Dhabi coding school. Pawan Singh / The National

Amna Alnaqbi, 27, is eager to use her coding knowledge to offer support to women who are balancing careers with family life.

Studying at 42 Abu Dhabi meant leaving her son, who was nine-months old at the time in late 2023, at a nursery before she went to school.

Her goal is to use her knowledge of coding to create an application which will help ad hoc childcare services for parents.

Ms Alnaqbi, joined the coding school about a year ago and has used her newfound knowledge to find work in the oil and gas industry.

She has contributed to the growth of the coding community by teaching AI and Python and aims to set up a babysitting app through which parents can book childcare services at nurseries.

“I like coding because it reminds me of maths and it's like a puzzle. They give you a problem and have to find solution through coding,” said Ms Alnaqbi

“The school is open 24/7, so I managed my time to study while my son was at the nursery. This helped me learn teamwork, improve my technical skills, and prepare for real world jobs.

“I want to make my country proud.”

Coder eager to develop games

Tarek Badawi, a 20-year-old Syrian student at the school, intends to pursue a career as a games developer.

He was at a crossroads after three years of remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“There was a lot of pressure on trying to know where I really belong in this world and what I wanted to do,” said Mr Badawi.

“I knew that I wanted to do something different. I wanted to be unique. I wanted to be able to create.

“I saw the limitless possibilities with coding, like all the things that you can create and build, ranging from cyber security projects to robotics, game development and that ended up giving me the passion that I want for life.”

Tarek Badawi, student at the 42 Abu Dhabi coding school located in Mina Zayed warehouses district in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National

He joined 42 Abu Dhabi in 2023 and also works as a game master at a board game cafe.

Taking coding to the community

This year, the school will be taking coding on the road to expose people around the country to the skills in bite-sized boot camps that they have named “Discovery Piscines”.

Dr Ahmed Al Shoaibi, acting chief executive of 42 Abu Dhabi, said: “We want to stay true to the core and the spirit of 42 but we are adding different offerings because we realise that there's so much demand, whether it's from the public or whether it's from the industry partners.

“We have expanded our offerings to focus on upskilling the UAE’s workforce through specialised programmes tailored for corporates.”

These initiatives empower employees to drive digital transition at the companies they work for.

Dr Ahmed Al Shoaibi, acting chief executive of 42 Abu Dhabi coding school in Mina Zayed warehouses district in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National

Since the school opened its doors in October 2020, they have had about 900 students, of whom 130 have graduated. The school has received more than 31,000 applicants.

Regarding expansion plans, he said the idea is being studied but there was no formal direction yet.

“In 2025, we are increasing our outreach through multiple Discovery Piscines to inspire and engage the broader community,” he said.

These shorter, focused piscines allow organisations to explore 42 Abu Dhabi's unique approach, with participants receiving a completion certificate upon finishing the programme.

The courses are one to two weeks long and can be customised and are open to schools, colleges and students. They offer insight on all aspects of coding, cyber security and artificial intelligence.

Dr Al Shoaibi said the admission process is competitive, and that they look for a quality in students over quantity.

Vision for the future

The UAE established the One Million Arab Coders initiative in 2017 to equip young people with the skills needed to succeed in the 21st century.

The Emirates unveiled the National Programme for Coders in July 2021, in collaboration with technology companies including Google, Amazon and Microsoft, to bolster coding skills, particularly among young people.

It aimed to train 100,000 coders and establish 1,000 technology companies that will go global and increase start-up investments from Dh1.5 billion to Dh4bn.

Inside 42 Abu Dhabi – in pictures

Coding school 42 Abu Dhabi is located in Mina Zayed. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Hamda Alwahedi, a student at 42 Abu Dhabi, has been selected as a coding ambassador to help champion the UAE's digital drive.

Hamed Al Hashmi, another student from the centre, has been selected as a coding ambassador.

Marcos Muller Habig, chief executive of 42 Abu Dhabi, says he hopes the centre can attract talent from all over the world.

The institute has received more than 31,000 applications since it opened its doors in October 2020.

Students sharpen their programming skills through internships, projects, games and peer-to-peer learning.

The centre has attracted applicants from diverse backgrounds, including oil and gas engineers, university professors, schoolteachers, flight attendants and even a DJ.

The cafeteria at 42 Abu Dhabi.