'One Million Coders' Initiative An Opportunity For Youth, Supports Readiness For Post-COVID-19 Period: Omar Al Olama

Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, and Deputy Managing Director of the Dubai Future Foundation, DFF, stated that the initiatives, "One Million Jordanian Coders" and "One Million Uzbek Coders" initiatives will create opportunities for the youth wishing to learn the language of the future, and will enhance their role in serving their communities, and support their governments’ readiness for the post-COVID-19 period.

The two initiatives, which were launched by the UAE Government as part of its strategic partnership in government modernisation with Jordan and Uzbekistan is an extension of the initiative, "One Million Arab Coders," which was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and reflects the joint strategic goals of the UAE Government and the governments of Jordan and Uzbekistan.

Al Olama said that programming is a key pillar of modernisation and shaping the future and an essential skill that will enable the youth to keep pace with the latest developments and adopt Artificial Intelligence, AI, technologies, through creating applications that will support government modernisation.

He added that the changes facing the world caused by the coronavirus pandemic are being met by the vision of the UAE’s leadership and their keenness to be ready for the future, by training a generation of programmers and developers capable of employing new technologies related to the economy, work, education, learning, communication and production.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid launched the initiative, "One Million Arab Coders," as the largest programming project that aims to train one million Arab youths.

The initiatives are an introduction for new programmers and lovers of the language of the future and will enable them to employ AI.

The initiatives, supervised by the DFF, are based on the belief of the UAE Government in the key role of programming in benefitting from modern technologies and finding solutions to current challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

They have provided opportunities for young participants from Jordan and Uzbekistan to achieve their dreams and become programmers and they were awarded the "Nanodegree certificate''.