Sharjah 24 – WAM: In the presence of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, Dubai Future Foundation will organise the closing ceremony of the ‘One Million Arab Coders’ initiative at Dubai’s Museum of the Future on Wednesday, to honour the best distinguished Arab talents in coding, and highlight best coding projects developed by graduates of the initiative to serve their communities and create a better future for humanity.

The winners of the 'One Million Arab Coders' challenge, which has a total of US$1.35 million in prizes, will be announced during the ceremony. The 'One Million Arab Coders' initiative is supervised by the Dubai Future Foundation and organised under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI).

The first-place winner will receive US$1 million, in recognition of their success in employing coding expertise gained during his participation in the initiative to create impactful services that can benefit communities globally.

Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of the Dubai Future Foundation, said, "The 'One Million Arab Coders' initiative embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to provide new opportunities for Arab youth, empowering their contributions to the advancement of technologies globally, and to put a clear Arab footprint in the future of humanity."

Al Gergawi noted that the initiative aimed mainly at empowering Arab youth around the world with the tools of the future, and providing them with the opportunity to gain new experiences and skills that would help them turn their dreams into successful projects that benefit their societies and have a positive impact on their lives.

"The initiative was a glimmer of hope for Arab youth around the globe that success is not bound by place, age, or obstacles. Rather, success requires insistence on acquiring the experiences and skills that will be needed in the future," Al Gergawi said. He pointed out that the initiative was a cornerstone for countless success stories where coding helped create a positive impact on the future of humanity, and spread hope in the Arab region.

He also stressed the importance of the initiative’s role in encouraging Arab coders to innovate and start developing software projects that not only meet the needs of their societies, but also foresee and adapt to its future requirements and changes, pointing to the initiative’s success in developing a leading global experience to teach coding skills in an effective manner, which was adopted in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Uzbekistan.

In addition to the grand prize for the 'One Million Arab Coders' challenge, the five best projects will receive prizes of US$50,000 each, and four of the best trainers participating in the initiative will be honoured with prizes of US$25,000 each. The finalists were chosen by a specialised jury that comprises many experts in the fields of entrepreneurship and future technologies.