When Hamda Alwahedi started her career as an environmental scientist, little did she know that she would chance upon coding and move to a career in data analytics.
She is not alone as the UAE’s digital drive has stoked the ambitions of hundreds of students in the country who want to carve a niche in technology.
Ms Alwahedi studies at 42 Abu Dhabi, the emirate’s coding school, to improve her skills.
The institute has received more than 31,000 applications since it opened its doors in October 2020, its chief executive, Marcos Muller Habig, told The National.
To have two students as coding ambassadors is something we're hugely proud of
Marcos Muller Habig,
chief executive, 42 Abu Dhabi
More than 300 students are enrolled at the campus and the centre aims to become a magnet for global talent, attracting coders from around the world.
With no classrooms or teachers, students can attend the forward-thinking school free of charge.
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.
For Ms Alwahedi, the change from earth sciences to coding may look to the bystander like a drastic one, but she said that in a world where everything relies on technology, it is not a major shift.
The 28-year-old Emirati coder is also pursuing a master's degree in data analytics at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai.
“I felt stuck in a specific area where I could not really think outside the box in my previous job,” Ms Alwahedi said.
“In technology, I can specialise in multiple areas like networking, security or game design.
“I started focusing on coding in 2017 and when the pandemic hit, I had plenty of free time.
“I was interested in learning the programming language Python and when 42 Abu Dhabi opened, I thought I could put my knowledge into practice.”
Ms Alwahedi hopes to soon launch her career in data analytics.
This week, UAE selected her as a coding ambassador. She is among the 56 coding ambassadors to help champion the country's digital drive and support the National Programme for Coders that was launched in June 2021.
Twenty-three of the enterprising group are Emiratis, selected from all seven emirates.
The programme will also grant golden visas to 100,000 of the world’s best coders.
Hamed AlHashmi, another Emirati student at 42 Abu Dhabi and a graduate of the Higher Colleges of Technology, has been a coder for more than a decade and has been selected as a coding ambassador.
“I'm honoured, humbled and grateful for being selected for my technical skills," Mr AlHashmi said.
“I wish to be a part of establishing a coding culture in the UAE to help champion the country's digital drive.
“As an ambassador, I will promote the importance of digital knowledge to the government and private sector, employees and pupils.
“I will be sharing the concepts of coding, and how it can be a driving force for the economy for years to come."
He said he would work with other ambassadors to improve their technical skills, organise workshops and hackathons.
Mr Habig of 42 Abu Dhabi said he was excited that two students at the centre have been selected as ambassadors.
“I think it's a validation of the work that we've been doing," he said.
“To have them be at the forefront of this initiative as ambassadors is something we're hugely proud of.
“I love the focus on coding specifically in the UAE because it's usually something that was extremely outsourced.
"We hope we can attract talent to our programme from all over the world, and then retain them and build this kind of tech skills ecosystem."
Coders of all nationalities and age groups can apply for the UAE golden visa.
He said when students finish the programme, the centre will help them in applying for the golden visa if they wish.
For 42 Abu Dhabi, the next big step will be to focus on cybersecurity and expand cybersecurity offerings within the programme.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
New schools in Dubai
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Terminator: Dark Fate
Director: Tim Miller
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis
Rating: 3/5
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
