PRESS RELEASES

UAE STUDENT COMPETITION TO INCLUDE GCC

Dubai, UAE (October 24, 2005). [Arabic Press Release][Photos]

The UAE Educational IT Challenge has opened its 2006 edition. Students, teachers and organizations from the UAE will compete against those from GCC countries. There are eight categories and the winners will receive the prestigious Challenge awards during April 2006.

The UAE Challenge has offered awards since 2000, collecting over 700 projects in the Challenge database. An international jury panel of experts will evaluate all the projects and finalists will be invited to exhibit their work and receive their prizes from His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Education. Special awards will be presented to the best UAE National teacher and student projects.

According to Dr Tayeb Kamali, Vice–Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology, “New developments for the 2006 challenge include expansion to include the GCC countries; new categories for e-commerce and business. A number of new sponsors will help facilitate training, job opportunities and overseas participation opportunities for winners in the global challenges”.

Mr. Tawhid Abdullah, Managing Director of DAMAS and title sponsor of the IT Challenge commented that “this is a unique opportunity to give something back to the UAE; to help our youth develop skills and business; to put ideas into practice and have real outcomes that benefit the nation and its youth”.

Major sponsors of this year’s event are Damas, Gargash, Standard Chartered Bank, Knowledge Village, ITEP, SAE Institute, National Bank of Dubai, Computer Associates, Union National Bank, Kanoo, Ducab, Synergy Professional Services, Jashanmal, Dell and Visa International.

One of the world’s leading animators from Pixar animation studios will speak at the gala dinner, to be attended by dignitaries from the GCC, Rome, Sweden and America. The UAE IT Challenge has strong links with the international challenges of Stockholm and Rome, where the UAE secured the highest number of finalist projects from any country in 2004.

Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Director of Knowledge Village and long time supporter of the UAE Challenge said “this event has grown dramatically and with these new directions for 2006 we can look forward to an exciting challenge with the best projects from the GCC competing against the best the UAE has to offer“.

Projects can be entered online at www.uaechallenge .com, with the closing date for entries February 15th 2006. The exhibition of finalist projects and award ceremony will be held at the Grand Hyatt Convention Center in Dubai on April 22nd and 23rd, 2006.

Further information regarding the challenge can be found on the website at www.uaechallenge.com

For further details please contact Mr. Robert Brown, Program Coordinator on tel. 02-6941467 or Ms Kashmira Tamhane, Executive Director, 20/20 Management on tel. 04-3430968 or Mobile 050-6556794.
Website : www.uaechallenge.com