The UAE is well on its way to cracking the code in its ambitious bid to train one million Arabs to be at the forefront of new technology.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has hailed coding as the "language of the future" after attending a graduation ceremony for the One Million Arab Coders, an initiative set up to train one million Arabs in the key skill of computer programming over a three year period.
More than 22,000 people from across the globe completed the programme this year.
At the ceremony, held at VOX Cinema at the Mall of the Emirates in Al Barsha, Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed said mastering new technologies creates "new opportunities" for young people seeking to make their way up the career ladder.
Sheikh Mohammed said coding will be of critical importance to the economy in years to come.
“Coding is the language of the future, and one of its key tools,” said Sheikh Mohammed.
“It creates opportunities for future generations. New technologies are the fastest way to create new opportunities for our youth.”
The One Million Arab Coders scheme, organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives, has a bold mission statement to empower Arab youth and equip participants with the technological tools to successfully tackle the challenges of the future.
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Sheikh Mohammed attended the ceremony alongside a number of dignitaries, including the Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, and Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence.
The coding campaign has already proved a big hit, with 375,000 people registering for its first edition.
During the ceremony, a new virtual learning platform named TeachMeNow was launched, and 250 participants were awarded scholarships for their achievements in the programme.
The Dubai Future Foundation also unveiled a new partnership with Microsoft and Consensys Academy to train participants in the coders programme, while agreements were signed with major companies such as Careem, IBM, and Souq.com to provide job opportunities to graduates.
The One Million Arab Coders initiative, which is supported by the Hussain Sajwani – DAMAC Foundation, features multiple stages.
In the first stage, participants from across the world register to join one of two categories – Arab students or tutors.
Stage two requires applicants to complete several three-month virtual coding programmes.
The initiative is supported by Udacity, Bayt.com, Facebook, Oracle and Barmaj.com.
The coders initiative is intended to capture the imagination of young Arabs and position them for an industry that is expected to generate hundreds of thousands of jobs in the future.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid launched One Million Arab Coders last October.
For more information on the project, visit www.arabcoders.ae
