UAE launches ‘One Million Jordanian Coders’ Initiative in Jordan

Under the patronage and in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, Crown Prince of Jordan, and in line with the UAE-Jordan strategic partnership in government modernization, the ‘One Million Jordanian Coders’ initiative was launched in the Jordanian capital Amman today.

Drawing the participation of a high-level delegation from the UAE, led by Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, the event marked a step forward in the mutual commitment of the UAE and Jordan to promoting partnerships and knowledge sharing.

‘One Million Jordanian Coders’ aims to position Jordan as one of the most advanced countries in the field of coding through providing the necessary training for young people, enabling them to keep pace with the rapid developments in computer science, equipping them with future skills, building their capacities, and increasing their competitiveness in the job market. The initiative seeks to empower Jordanian youth to spearhead the development of the country’s digital economy, thus contributing to bridging the digital gap in the Arab world.

Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi said: "Coding is the language of the future. Jordan has valuable experience in providing its human capital with advanced technical skills. The UAE-Jordan collaboration today is part of a long and strong partnership initiated by the founding father of the UAE, late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and late King Hussein bin Talal and solidified today by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces."

Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi noted that ‘One Million Jordanian Coders’ will continue for several years in Jordan under the patronage of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II. Its strategic goal is to build a new generation of Arab youth that is fluent in the language of the future. The initiative offers free training schemes and internationally accredited certificates, a career platform and scholarships for high achievers.

In closing, he said: "Arab youth have the capacity to compete with the best technology companies globally. We have successful examples in the UAE and Jordan that give us the confidence to shape a better technological future for the region. The UAE and Jordan have initiated a partnership program in government modernization, and a package of joint projects will be announced over time."

Eng. Mothanna Gharaibeh, Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship of Jordan, said: "The One Million Jordanian Coders initiative aligns with our keenness to develop digital knowledge and skills among Jordanian youth. The accelerated technological advancements in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution have made it imperative for everyone to master digital tools to keep up to date with global developments."

He added: "We started this collaborative journey in Jordan two years ago at the initiative of the Crown Prince and in cooperation with the Ministry of Education through teaching programming to public school students in a pilot phase in select schools, and now we have reached the planning phase to expand the program to make it more comprehensive."

In closing, he said: "One Million Jordanian Coders, supported by the UAE, is one of several UAE-Jordan joint strategic projects."

Organised in partnership with Microsoft, Udacity, Facebook and Bayt.com, the ‘One Million Jordanian Coders’ initiative offers accredited free online coding courses that are managed by the Crown Prince Foundation. The three-month learning journey covers a wide array of topics and skill levels. Upon completion of the courses, the participants will receive accredited certificates. Serving as a virtual home for a community of coding students, educators and experts, the platform also features e-forums for coding enthusiasts and a career portal with coding job listings for graduates. Furthermore, students who excel in the courses can also receive scholarships for internationally recognized training programs.

Registration for ‘One Million Jordanian Coders’ is now open to interested candidates. At a later stage, the initiative will offer advanced training sessions to outstanding students over a six-month period. The graduates of these workshops will receive a globally recognized Nanodegree.

‘One Million Jordanian Coders’ has been conceptualized as a component of the ‘One Million Arab Coders’ program that was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum with the aim of enhancing the region’s contribution to the thriving digital innovation field. It was also designed to boost the morale of young people in the Arab world and inspire them to invest their energy and talent into modernizing their societies in order to bring them up to speed with developed nations.

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