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The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), represented by the Center of Digital Innovation (CoDI), hosted the second edition of the annual forum of the UAE open source software community in the UAE “OpenUAE”. The event took place in Etisalat Academy in Dubai, in the presence of a group of university students and experts in areas of software and open data. The agenda included discussions on important topics in areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, Cyber Security, Smart Cities, and others.
H.E. Saeed Al Suwaidi, Acting Director General of TRA, commented on this event by saying: “Investing in people has been one of the characteristics of the UAE’s journey since the establishment of our great Union. Our wise leadership has adopted many plans and programs that support the people and put them in the forefront of all development efforts. Hence, the laws, legislations and plans aimed at building and enabling national human cadres capable of achieving the UAE’s objectives and future visions. Organizing this event is based on TRA’s commitment to its role in training university students and developing their skills in the field of programs and open data, and enabling them to use these technologies to provide the best services and increase happiness in the society.”
H.E. Al Suwaidi indicated that this event aims to gather students interested in software and experts in this filed in one place, he said: “Today, we are in the era of participation, collective intelligence, and social media, where ideas flow online freely among communities and individuals. In the midst of these rapid changes, TRA is keen to create development opportunities for students interested in the fields of software, open data, and AI. This meeting is a knowledge platform that brings together experts with students looking for information, to discuss and share ideas and opinions, and eventually to reach a unified opinion. It is is part of a series of initiatives adopted by TRA to enable youth. TRA continuously organizes activities and initiatives aimed at youth, such as UAE Hackathon 2019, organized by TRA in the seven emirates, for the aim of motivating youth and those interested in data analysis, to provide solutions for the challenges of the Hackathon in each emirate.”
The event began with an opening speech on common technologies and their links to open source programs, followed by two simultaneous sessions, focusing on Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain. Over 45 minutes, each workshop discussed a number of predefined points followed by questions. The committee received the participants’ questions on each topic. Each workshop concluded with a document reflecting all the views, which will be published later on CoDI website.
The event also reviewed the experience of CoDI, where the participants learned about the Center’s advanced training programs covering technical, administrative, and leadership topics. They also learned about its role in enhancing the confidence of community members in mobile services, through improving quality and safety of online services applications.
OpenUAE is the first open source software community in the UAE, aims to enrich the open source culture in the UAE with more than 250 members representing the public, private and academic sectors.
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