The UAE has selected 56 coding ambassadors to help champion the country's digital drive.
Twenty-three of the enterprising group are Emiratis, drawn from all seven emirates.
They will be central to the vision of the national programme for coders, launched in June 2021 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
The UAE signed a deal with a host of technology giants as part of the initiative, including Google and Amazon, to train 100,000 young people in computer programming within five years.
Sheikh Mohammed wants this tech-savvy workforce to create 1,000 digital companies to boost the Emirati economy and increase government support for start-ups from Dh1.5 billion ($0.41bn) to Dh4bn.
The programme will also grant golden visas to 100,000 of the world’s best coders.
Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, stressed the vital need for future generations to harness technology in order to lead the country into the future.
The ambassadors will help promote the importance of digital knowledge to government and private sector leaders, employees, and university and schools’ students.
The team will co-ordinate monthly meetings, both in-person and online, and organise workshops aimed at sharing the concepts of coding and how it can be a driving force for the economy for years to come.
They will also hold sessions for those interested in being part of the computer programming industry.
The National Programme for Coders identified three different tier programmes for the ambassadors after an extensive interview and evaluation process.
Silver Tier, which has 16 ambassadors, consists of students and fresh graduates with skills in coding; Gold Tier has 33 ambassadors who are advanced in the digital field; and Platinum Tier boasts seven ambassadors who are experts in coding, leaders and employees in government and private institutions.
The ambassadors will work in different teams to enhance competitiveness, with a point system rewarding the most effective performers in a range of tasks, such as holding meetings, workshops, and hackathons.
The ambassadors were chosen ahead of UAE Codes Day on October 29.
Sheikh Mohammed last year declared October 29 would be an annual celebration of coders and programmers and the role these professionals play in advancing the information technology sector in the UAE.
An innovative coding school without teachers or classrooms opened in the capital last October, with 225 pupils, 40 per cent of them women.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, a member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, inaugurated 42 Abu Dhabi’s purpose-built campus in Mina Zayed.
Sheikh Khaled said 42 Abu Dhabi represented a new milestone in the UAE leadership’s strategy to nurture tomorrow’s leaders today.
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The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
MANDOOB
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
heading
Iran has sent five planeloads of food to Qatar, which is suffering shortages amid a regional blockade.
A number of nations, including Iran's major rival Saudi Arabia, last week cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism, charges it denies.
The land border with Saudi Arabia, through which 40% of Qatar's food comes, has been closed.
Meanwhile, mediators Kuwait said that Qatar was ready to listen to the "qualms" of its neighbours.
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Saint-Etienne v Montpellier (10.45pm)
Saturday
Monaco v Caen (7pm)
Amiens v Bordeaux (10pm)
Angers v Toulouse (10pm)
Metz v Dijon (10pm)
Nantes v Guingamp (10pm)
Rennes v Lille (10pm)
Sunday
Nice v Strasbourg (5pm)
Troyes v Lyon (7pm)
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain (11pm)
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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