Cash prizes to be awarded to tech developers and entrepreneurs
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Saturday, January 17th 2015 [ME NewsWire]
In line with the new innovation vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Internet City (DIC), the MENA region’s largest ICT Cluster, has announced that it will organise the first round of its tech developer competition, titled ‘Decode Dubai’, on 24th January 2015. The competition reflects DIC’s continuous efforts in driving Dubai leadership’s new innovation strategy forward, by empowering entrepreneurs and inspiring creative ideas.
Decode Dubai will bring together more than 80 tech entrepreneurs and developers who will compete in groups to solve problems and provide solutions by building mobile and web apps around the theme of ‘improving the lives of Dubai residents through public services’. The esteemed judging panel will evaluate the apps after the competition and decide upon a winning team, who will be awarded a grand cash prize of 20,000 AED. There will also be cash prizes for the runners up, and the three winning teams will be supported and mentored by the in5 innovation centre.
Dubai Internet City has played a major role in driving Dubai’s development into a knowledge-based economy and is now a front-runner in Dubai’s new innovation strategy. Through in5, the innovation centre launched by DIC in 2013 which was recently awarded ‘Incubator / Accelerator of the Year’ at the Arabian Business Start-Up Awards 2014, DIC has already pioneered the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the UAE, and will continue to implement new initiatives and projects to drive and foster innovation across all business sectors especially in the field of IT and communications.
The competition will engage the community and strengthen the skills of developers, tap into new ideas, and explore ways these ideas can be taken further. Decode Dubai will provide significant opportunities to strengthen the entrepreneurial and technology landscape in Dubai and across the region, and give developers the opportunity to develop something new, bringing about strong ideas and creativity.
Commenting, Majed Al Suwaidi, Managing Director of Dubai Internet City and Dubai Outsource Zone said:
"Innovation and entrepreneurship play a fundamental role in achieving growth across different business sectors in the UAE, and “Decode Dubai" falls within the framework of our commitment to promote and support the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his new innovation strategy. The event is a reiteration of the importance of the new innovation initiatives for the tech ecosystem, and the competition will ignite ideas, nurture talent, and develop new products.
“Today we have over 70 companies in our in5 innovation centre, with more than 500 applicants and ideas. Decode Dubai will bring together developers to pioneer innovative solutions, and this will support our continued efforts to facilitate innovation and empower entrepreneurs going forward."
The winner and runners-up will be announced on 25th January 2015.
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About Dubai Internet City
Dubai Internet City (DIC) is the Middle East and North Africa’s largest ICT hub. Since the year 2000, DIC has successfully developed a prosperous ecosystem for technology organisations and today is home to Fortune 500 listed companies and multinationals as well as some of the region’s most dynamic and successful technology SMEs and start-ups from all elements of the ICT value chain.
DIC provides a wide range of facilities including state-of-the-art offices, a robust IT infrastructure, 24-hour security, retail services and hotels, spread across the business park’s unique and tranquil landscape; an environment that helps ICT businesses develop, innovate and grow.
For more information, please visit: www.dubaiinternetcity.com.
Contacts
Alexa Hooft Graafland
AHooftGraafland@bell-pottinger.com
+971 5 5559 7404
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