The Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) has announced the signing of partnership agreements with several major international firms to support the One Million Arab Coders initiative launched in October last year by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

The Foundation signed partnership agreements with Facebook, Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, Careem, Consensys, Emirates NBD, Udacity and Barmej.com.

The signing ceremony was attended by Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and Deputy Managing Director of DFF, Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of DFF, senior officials and executives of partner companies.

Commenting on the deal, Al Olama said: "The One Million Arab Coders initiative reflects our enhanced investment in human capital and is part of our efforts to enable Arab youth to change global perceptions about their reality. The Initiative also supports the aspirations of the youth to stay abreast of global technological developments."

"The international support and strategic partnerships this initiative has attracted highlights its importance and relevance. The initiative is also part of our efforts to prepare the new generation for the future by helping them gain advanced technology skills that allow them to widen their expertise and meet job market requirements," he stated.
 
"We look forward to continuing our One Million Arab Coders journey in partnership with our private sector partners," he added.

As part of the partnership agreement, Oracle, Microsoft and SAP, will provide training opportunities to participants who qualify for the advanced rounds of the programme, in addition to an internationally recognised certificate, said the statement from DFF.

Consensys and Coded will provide internship opportunities for participants in the category of trainer, along with international certification that will enable them to train youth in coding.

Facebook will provide infrastructure services as well as training and e-marketing, in addition to support for 100 participants to launch start-up projects, it stated.

Microsoft, Careem, and Emirates NBD will provide training and job opportunities for winners of the programme.

The largest programme of its kind, the initiative seeks to train one million young Arabs in computer programming, said the DFF statement.

The programme seeks to empower and equip young Arabs with the tools and technical knowledge necessary for facing the challenges of the future. The ultimate goal is to open a wide range of career opportunities for young Arabs in the future and inspire a new generation of leaders in the digital economy – the economy of the future, it added.-TradeArabia News Service