Today's Edition
ASILA AL BADI (ABU DHABI)
From developing artificial intelligence solutions that improve government services to building tools that help businesses make better decisions, young coders in the UAE are turning their technical skills into practical innovations while pursuing new career opportunities.
The country marks UAE Codes Day today, October 29, an annual national occasion celebrating coding and highlights the country’s efforts to promote digital skills and encourage more people to pursue opportunities in technology.
In October 2021, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, directed that October 29 be designated as UAE Codes Day.
The date commemorates two significant milestones in the UAE's digital transformation journey: the launch of the region's first e-Government initiative on October 29, 2001, and the announcement of Dubai Internet City on the same date in 1999.
The two milestones helped lay the foundations for digital transformation across the region and supported the UAE's transition towards a technology- and innovation-driven economy.
Among the institutions supporting aspiring coders is 42 Abu Dhabi, a tuition-free coding academy established in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK). The academy offers a hands-on, peer-to-peer learning model, where students develop programming and problem-solving skills through practical projects rather than traditional classroom lessons.
Fatima Al Foulathi, Acting CEO of 42 Abu Dhabi, said the UAE is creating an environment that encourages young people to move beyond using technology to developing solutions of their own.
“The UAE is creating an ecosystem where young people are empowered not simply to use technology, but to build it, challenge it and shape what comes next,” she said.
She explained that the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has made coding skills increasingly important, particularly as organisations seek people who can understand, develop, and apply emerging technologies.
“AI can generate code, but the next generation of talent must know how to question it, validate it, improve it and turn it into solutions that create value,” Al Foulathi said.
Meanwhile, aspiring developers are highlighting how access to coding education, hands on experience and emerging technologies is helping them pursue their ambitions while contributing to the UAE's digital transformation.
Among them is 22-year-old Emirati Hamad Ahmed Alyassi, an information security student who helped develop an AI-powered solution designed to significantly reduce the time needed to assess housing arrears cases.
Developed during the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and 42 Abu Dhabi's AgentEra Hackathon, the Housing Arrears Rescheduling Agent was designed to assess cases in under 30 seconds, compared with a process that could previously take around five days, according to Alyassi.
"What made the experience especially valuable was working on a real government challenge and seeing how the coding skills we develop at 42 Abu Dhabi can be applied to create solutions that could make a tangible difference to people's lives," he said.
For Alyassi, coding also offers an opportunity to combine his interests in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, particularly as digital technologies become increasingly integrated into everyday services.
"As a young Emirati, I hope to use these skills to contribute to the UAE's digital future and be part of the generation building and protecting the next wave of AI-powered technologies," he said.
While Alyassi is looking to build on his skills in cybersecurity and AI, others have found that coding can open the door to entirely new career paths.
For 26-year old Khalil Kaddoura, that meant moving into software development after spending two years working as an accountant.
Motivated by the possibility of automating repetitive financial tasks, Kaddoura moved into software development and is now an intern at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
"I worked in finance as an accountant for two years before switching to coding. I wanted to build systems that make work easier," he said.
His projects include FEDROS, an AI-powered smart assistant developed for a government platform, and a tool that generates business plans by analysing information such as start-up costs and potential profitability.
Drawing on his financial background, Kaddoura hopes to develop AI agents capable of analysing complex business information, automating tasks and supporting faster decision-making.
"My goal is to combine both to build technology that saves time, improves decision-making and creates real value for people and businesses," he said.
Another young Emirati putting her skills into practice is Ghaya Abdulla Binishaq Alseiari, 23, a software engineer at Yas Holding Aviation – Eshara.
Alseiari developed an AI-powered system using Retrieval-Augmented Generation, a technique that allows users to ask questions and receive answers drawn from relevant information sources.
The project demonstrated how coding and AI could help organisations access information more efficiently and make better decisions.
"What makes this project meaningful to me is its potential to solve real-world challenges," she said.
Alseiari, who studied at 42 Abu Dhabi, said the academy's peer-to-peer learning approach helped her develop independence, creativity and problem-solving skills.
Looking ahead, Alseiari hopes to build on her experience by developing AI and automation solutions that address challenges across different sectors.
“As a young Emirati woman in technology, I hope to be part of that transformation while also inspiring the next generation, especially young women, to explore coding and pursue their ambitions with confidence,” she said.
Her ambitions also reflect a broader commitment to the country's development.
“I aspire to use technology not only to shape my future, but to contribute to the future of the UAE.”
