Dubai: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, today said that the growth of the digital economy is a major priority for the government as part of which the UAE seeks to accelerate the development of the country’s talent and expertise in the sector. Nurturing and empowering advanced skills represents a major pillar of the nation’s strategy for building a thriving digital future driven by advances in science, knowledge, innovation and technology. The UAE’s success in digital and technological transformation is a key enabler of its strategic plans, His Highness said.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid today launched a major new initiative to foster the growth of the digital economy titled the ‘National Program for Coders’. The landmark Program will introduce a series of national initiatives to develop talent, expertise and innovation in the field of coding. The initiative seeks to accelerate the adoption of digital applications and tools in various economic and future-oriented sectors by promoting close links and interaction between coders and public and private organisations and academic entities.

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”.

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.”

 Sheikh Mohammed further said: “Our youth need to know that the future has new tools, speaks a different language and adopts online work methodologies. We want them to be at the heart of this future. The National Program for Coders aims to engage local digital communities in the digital transformation of the UAE. It further highlights the UAE’s leading role in designing the future, embracing talent, entrepreneurs, academics, startups, global companies, and future investments globally,".

"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.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid issued directives to all government entities in the UAE to support the development of national and international coding talent; work with legislative bodies, business incubators, investment companies, universities and research centres to support coding-based initiatives and projects that foster national talent in the field; and further develop the legislative framework to enable the UAE to keep pace with rapid global changes and the latest technological advances.

Supporting National Efforts

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 further enables 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.

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. The UAE will always serve as a hub for the development of creative and innovative solutions for the world’s challenges. We will work closely with our partners and stakeholders to achieve the Program’s goals and create the most supportive environment for coders from around the world to develop their skills and talent,” His Excellency said.

Five Key Strategic Pillars

The National Program for Coders focuses on five key pillars, which include: supporting coders, entrepreneurs, startups, large companies and the academic sector; developing a comprehensive platform for promoting engagement and linkages between coders and local companies and universities; launching global skill development initiatives featuring international trainers aimed at enhancing the efficiency of local talent; attracting the best International coding professionals to the UAE, and recommending policies to foster the development of the coding sector in cooperation with various government entities.

Supporting Strategic Objectives

Several initiatives will be launched to support the strategy’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.

100,000 Golden Visas

The National Program for Coding, launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 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.

Developing Innovative Solutions to 100 Challenges

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.

#UAE_Codes

A comprehensive global campaign will be launched to highlight the UAE’s efforts in attracting the world’s best coding professionals. It will also provide services and encourage coders to find jobs and establish startups in the UAE.

National and Global Partnerships

To realise the vision of 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.