Arab Youth Hackathon winners announced
Alshaheen News
The Crown Prince Foundation (CPF) on Sunday announced the winners in the Arab Youth Hackathon; an initiative launched in partnership with the Arab Youth Center (AYC) with the aim of unleashing creativity and innovation among the younger generation.
Bilqis Baslum and Samah Melibari from Saudi Arabia won the first place for their “Etmain” online platform aimed at providing individual and community psychological support in times of crisis, while Fatima and Amina al-Hammadi from the UAE won the second place for a comprehensive digital platform that offers unique educational and learning options.
The third place went to Mazen Sirwan, Rita Batman, Muhammad Hariri and Zeina Massad from the Sanabel team from Syria, who together invented the “Doroub” initiative. It works as a virtual educational platform that uses digital technologies to build bridges of knowledge communication between young people in Syria and the world.
The announcement was made during a digital closing event attended by representatives of the various institutions and entities participating and supporting the Hackathon, including the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Bahrain, the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Egypt, the Public Authority for Youth in Kuwait, as well as representatives of Dubai Cares, the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, the UAE Food Security Strategy, and the Global LinkedIn Network, each of which participated in supporting Arab youth with consultations within a specific one of the six challenge tracks.
Dr. Tammam Mango, Executive Director of the CPF, said: “The partnership between the Crown Prince Foundation and the Arab Youth Center has proven its effectiveness over the years and many joint initiatives have been implemented aimed at supporting young men and women from all Arab countries, banking on the awareness of Arab youth and the ambition that they will be able to contribute to facing challenges, overcoming them and turning them into opportunities.”
She added: “Our youth have provided creative solutions that will help countries face this challenge by using technology. Our homelands have won this distinctive youth effort that will enhance the position of Arab youth on the youth map of the world for creativity and innovation.”
Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid al-Nuaimi, President of the Emirates Football Association, Vice President of the Arab Youth Center, stressed that youth in the Arab world are a source of quality solutions, and their support and empowerment is the focus of interest in the Arab Youth Center, and all Arab youth work institutions because, he said, they have awareness of their priorities and the priorities of their societies.
“The Arab youths are motivated by giving, achievement, excellence and creativity. Arab youth have ideas capable of making a positive difference in addressing crises and facing challenges,” he said.
Al-Nuaimi praised the role of government and private sector institutions that are keen to support initiatives that support youth in the Arab world, highlighting their pioneering role in achieving development.
He added: “Here comes the role of initiatives, programs and platforms that enable them to convert these ideas into concrete solutions, as in the Arab Youth Hackathon initiative, which has received support from everyone.”
Shamma bint Suhail bin Faris Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Vice President of the Arab Youth Center thanked the partners of the center for their support, stressing the importance of cooperation with the owners of innovative ideas to develop and crystallize them into action plans that empower Arab youth and reflect positively on Arab societies.
In turn, Saeed al-Nazri, Director General of the Federal Youth Foundation and Chief Strategy Officer at the Arab Youth Center, congratulated the winners and participants in the Arab Youth Hackathon Challenge from various Arab countries, and everyone who presented an idea or solution within the six tracks that cover the most prominent challenges facing youth.
Al-Nazri added: “We received more than 230 submissions from 18 Arab countries in the first round of the Arab Youth Hackathon, which shows the extent to which Arab youth are motivated to participate in finding quality solutions and positive contributions to building and development.”
Regarding future plans for the challenge, Al-Nazari said: “The interest shown toward the hackathon is an incentive for the Arab Youth Center to continue developing its initiatives aimed at empowering Arab youth in their countries and providing them with opportunities to present their creative ideas.”
//Petra// AA
