The UAE has announced a new initiative to develop talent expertise and innovation in the field of coding in collaboration with tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon and IBM among others.
The new programme titled, ‘National Program for Coders’, was announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai is aimed at fostering the growth of the digital economy.
Announcing the new initiative on Twitter, His Highness said “Today we launched the National Program for Coders in collaboration with Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Cisco, IBM, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), LinkedIn, Nvidia and Facebook, with the aim of training and attracting 100,000 coders, establishing 1000 digital companies within five years and increasing investment in startups from AED1.5 billion to AED4 billion”.
The new programme represents a new step towards establishing our digital economy. The world is rapidly changing and the fast-growing digital economy will create new types of jobs. To thrive in the ever-evolving world, we must be ready to quickly cope with the emerging trends.
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) July 10, 2021
In another tweet, His Highness said the Program represents a major new step in developing the UAE’s digital economy. “The world is rapidly changing, and the fast-growing digital economy will create new types of jobs. To thrive in the ever-evolving world, we must be ready to quickly cope with the emerging trends.”
“We seek to attract the best international coders and provide them with the infrastructure needed to develop innovative ideas that serve the world. We aim to establish 1,000 startups in the field of digital economy in the UAE within five years. We will support national coders in developing themselves into the best in the world. We will employ promising talent in the development of 10 platforms for supporting social and humanitarian projects in the UAE.”
Under the supervision of the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office, the ‘National Program for Coders’ aims to support national initiatives and future strategies in the UAE designed to develop the capabilities of national talent, attract global digital skills, and build the infrastructure necessary to establish broader innovation-based companies.
The Program also seeks to enable coding entrepreneurs, businesses and startups to support digital transformation in various key sectors. It also seeks to provide opportunities for fostering cooperation between government and private sector entities in the UAE and abroad to implement promising ideas and turn them into comprehensive projects.
His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications said that the launch of the National Program for Coders is a major milestone in the UAE’s development into a global digital powerhouse.
“The Program reflects the country’s determination to be among the vanguard of nations shaping the world’s future,” he said.
“The UAE has always been a driver of excellence in advanced sectors. The launch of the National Program for Coders is another vital step in ensuring our future growth is driven by knowledge and innovation. The country’s leadership has always believed in the crucial role played by advanced technology in economic and social progress and has been committed to harnessing new value for the country, the region and the world from the latest advances through strategic initiatives.”
Several initiatives will be launched to support the program’s goals, including a comprehensive platform to link coders with the private and academic sectors, supporting businesses in finding specialised talent to develop innovative projects, providing the Golden Visa to some of the world’s leading coders, developing the skills and expertise of Emirati coders so that they can be among the world’s best, supporting national digital economy start-ups, and empowering social and humanitarian coding-based projects.
As part of the support provided by the Program, it will help various government entities develop innovative coding-based solutions in cooperation with leading coders, independent businesses, local startups and global coding companies. It will also oversee the skill development of young Emirati coders, in addition to studying and identifying local and global market needs and enhancing continuous cooperation with the academic sector.
The programme will grant Golden Visas to 100,000 of the world’s best coders. It will also provide a range of financing options to entrepreneurs and coders, support the implementation of their innovative projects and ideas, and establish digital companies to promote the competitiveness of the national economy worldwide.
In its next phase, the Program will invite coders from around the world to find innovative solutions to 100 government, economic, technological, health and services challenges and help accelerate the adoption of modern technologies. The Program will also organise 10 hackathons, bringing together top-notch coders to support national efforts in developing an integrated system in the UAE based on the latest technologies.
To realise the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, achieve the strategic goals of the major new initiative, and implement all related initiatives and projects, the National Program for Coders will develop partnerships with multiple public, private and academic entities and technology companies in the UAE and abroad, including Google, Microsoft, IBM, LinkedIn, Facebook, Huawei, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Nvidia, Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Majid Al Futtaim, Dubai World Trade Centre, Emirates NBD, Group 42 (G42), Khalifa University, Higher Colleges of Technology, University of Sharjah, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), American University in Dubai (AUD), Le Wagon and Yalla.
