Emirati Teams Lead the Gulf Programming Contest 2018
25 Mar 2018
Four teams from the UAE took the lead in the 8th Gulf Programming Contest, which was recently hosted by the College of Technological Innovation at Zayed University, Dubai campus.
45 teams from 14 universities across 5 Gulf countries competed, students showcased their programming talents and expertise to solve 10 levels of programming problems in a timely manner, without an internet connection.
“This portrays efforts towards the ‘1 million Arab Coders’ initiative which was launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which seeks to equip young Arabs with the tools to build their future, starting with fluency in coding and programming, the initiative will also empower them with the skills needed to contribute to the development of the digital economy,” Prof Reyadh Al Mehaideb, Vice-President of Zayed University, said.
He pointed out that Zayed University is always pushing towards this direction by providing an advanced educational environment that provides students with numerous opportunities to compete, showcase their experiences and interact with field experts.
The top 10 achievers were honoured by Prof Al Mehaideb during a special ceremony held in the presence of Dr Andrew Marrington, Acting Dean, College of Technological Innovation and Dr Mohamed Abdullah Hussein, Head of Judging Panel.
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani – Dubai Campus ranked first in solving 6 technical problems out of 10 in the shortest time. The UAE topped the list with four teams, followed by Saudi Arabia with three out of four teams, two from Kuwait and one Omani team.
The Gulf Programming Contest is an opportunity for university students majoring in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Management Information Systems, Information Technology, or any IT-related subjects to demonstrate their skills in programming and problem-solving. The contest is also an opportunity for students from different institutions in the same field to meet and exchange ideas.
The contest, which was held on March 21st and 22nd, is an extension of the National Programming Contest that has been running for over a decade for university students in the UAE.
The event was sponsored by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), based in the USA. Under the honorary chairmanship of Dr Issa Al Bastaki, President of Dubai University.
