His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the One Million Arab Coders initiative, The 'One Million Arab Coders' initiative seeks to equip young Arabs with the tools to build their future, starting with fluency in coding and programming. It will also provide Arabs with employment opportunities, and empower them with the skills needed to contribute to the development of the digital economy.
Applicants will complete several three-month virtual coding programmes. The top 1,000 students will then be enrolled in the Coder Challenge. They will then compete for top spot, which carries a prize of $1 million, with the remaining top ten set to be awarded $50,000 each. The top four tutors, as voted for by the students, meanwhile, will win $200,000 each.
The initiative targets young Arabs because they are a vital component of Arab communities. Studies show that 50 percent of the Arab population is under 25 years old, and that 39 percent aspire to establish their own businesses over the next five years. Meanwhile, unemployment rates among capable and ambitious young Arabs is up to 28 percent, which is one of the highest in the world. This initiative will support young Arabs, and give them the knowledge that empowers them to thrive in the IT sector. It is projected that by 2020, there will be 80 million jobs available in various IT sectors, this initiative seeks to carve out a space for Arabs to become part of that.
The initiative will also enable young Arab innovators to play a key role in Smart Government, E-Commerce and IT. The E-Commerce sector has become a global $15 billion industry, while the IT sector has reached $3 billion in the Arab world alone, and is growing at an annual rate of 12 percent.