e& announced its partnership with Code.org, a global independent and non-profit organization, to join the international movement to encourage and promote the teaching and raise awareness of computer science for the next generation of students and academics in UAE and its operating markets in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
e& will work closely with Code.org to develop initiatives to raise awareness and promote curriculum changes at the national and local school levels to integrate computer science skills and concepts from an early age. This will also include providing insights into the potential opportunities and future prospects of embarking on this career path. The collaboration will start in the UAE and eventually expand across e&’s footprint.
The partnership will prioritize the expansion of computer science education for Arabic-speaking students by providing free, accessible content. The efforts will involve equipping teaching staff with the necessary skills to raise awareness about the importance of computer science, cultivate student curiosity, and impart key concepts.
The organizations will collaborate closely with the UAE Ministry of Education, with whom Code.org recently signed an MoU during the World Government Summit held in Dubai, as well as other relevant government institutions and local corporations. This partnership aims to address the ICT gap in the country and take appropriate measures to bridge it.
Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of e&, said, “Collaborating with industry partners and investing in future technologies presents an excellent opportunity to contribute to the future of computer science and drive the industry forward. The impact of computer science is undeniable, evident in the digital technologies, inspiring innovation, powering entrepreneurship, fuelling invention, streamlining research, and driving societal change globally.
“At e&, we have already taken significant steps in this direction with initiatives such as the AI Graduate Program, which focuses on building the next generation of coders and nurturing digital architects for emerging technologies. I would also like to express my gratitude to the UAE leadership for their vision of investing in the future of computer science and technology to drive economic growth and innovation in the region.”
Under this partnership, e& also joins global corporations like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, AT&T, Verizon and Telefonica, among others.
Hadi Partovi, founder and CEO of Code.org, said: “It’s great to have e& onboard, especially since UAE is our primary focus and will be a crucial pillar for our expansion in the region. All students across all schools worldwide need to learn computer science, not only to understand the language of the technology we use daily but also to acquire the critical skills it fosters, such as mathematics, problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork. And these are the skills that companies demand, especially with the transformation of the world to digital. Promoting digital competencies and skills to access the jobs that the labour market demands are more critical than ever. And in this new employability, lifelong learning and professional reskilling of workers are two essential elements to connect with the challenges of the digital era.”
Code.org is a non-governmental organization in the United States founded in 2013 whose mission is to train students to code, just as they learn another subject such as mathematics, algebra or biology. For this organization, computational thinking fosters the skills that future jobs will demand, such as logic, problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity.
