H.H. Sheikh Mohammed designates day to honour coding professionals

October 29 has been declared as a day that honours coding and programming professionals, under the slogan 'UAE Codes'.

The date marks the launch of the first electronic government in the region 20 years ago (October 29, 2001) by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Every year, October 29 will celebrate the role played by coding and programming professionals in advancing the nation’s vision for the growth and transformation of the IT sector.

The move supports nationwide efforts to attract a new generation of programmers and coders to the country through initiatives such as the ‘National Program for Coders’, in line with the UAE’s growth strategy and the Fifty-Year Charter.

"Twenty years ago, we launched the region’s first digital government, which was the cornerstone of our vision to build the best government in the world and create a new model of development that empowers people to turn their creative and entrepreneurial aspirations into reality," said Sheikh Mohammed.

"We want to honour the contributions of coders and programmers so that we can encourage future generations of technology professionals to participate in building the future of the UAE," he added.

Sheikh Mohammed's latest decision will help promote the development of technology and artificial intelligence-related skills among future generations.

The initiative also provides a significant boost to achieving the objectives of the ‘National Programme for Coders’ to train and attract 100,000 programmers and create 1,000 major digital companies within five years.