Over half a million people from 22 countries around the world have applied to participate in the ‘One Million Arab Coders’ initiative.
Launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the initiative seeks to train a million young people in coding techniques to empower Arab youth and arm them with the tools to succeed in the age of technology.
The overwhelming majority of applicants, 95 percent, are applying to study rather than be trainers, and who want to add technology and coding skills to their education. The largest proportion of applicants came from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Syria, and Iraq.
“This overwhelming response in the first week alone shows how timely and necessary this initiative is, and demonstrates the eagerness of our region’s young people to take on advanced technology skills,” said Abdullah Bin Touq, Acting CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation.
The initiative consists of three phases to be completed over two years. The first phase includes enrollment of Arab students and tutors from across the world. Participants can begin free education training, and receive a certificate at the end of each course.
In the second phase, the top 1,000 students will be selected through the ‘Coders Challenge,’ and they will be able to enroll in, and receive, more advanced courses, scholarships and vocational courses for professionals. In the third stage, the top 10 coders are chosen. The first-place winner will receive an award of $1 million, while the remaining nine will receive $50,000 each. The top four tutors will receive $50,000 each.
