The second week of the UAE Hackathon 2020, "Data for Happiness and Wellbeing", organized by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in collaboration with the National Program for Happiness and Wellbeing, has concluded. Three hackathons have been launched last week in Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm Al Quwain, with great participation of data analysis enthusiasts, including students, teachers, employees, and entrepreneurs from the government and private sectors.

The success of the three hackathons comes as a continuation of Abu Dhabi Hackathon success, which hosted more than 325 competitors in 59 teams. The competing teams worked over 3 days on studying and analyzing data provided by the concerned entities, with the aim of exploring smart and innovative solutions to the hackathons challenges. The hackathon challenges focused on ten areas: happiness wellbeing, Expo 2020, smart and sustainable cities, environment and climate change, health system with global standards, investment in space, sustainability and infrastructure integration, high-level education system, digital transformation, security and safety.

In this context, H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director General, said: “With every step of the hackathon, we gain more confidence in youth and participants in general and their unlimited creative abilities through which they can provide ideas, solutions and projects that contribute to accelerating the pace of work and achievement in various sectors. The UAE hackathon, which concludes its second week during which it toured in three precious emirates, the participants demonstrated their high capabilities in analyzing data and using the results to develop innovative solutions to current and future important issues. I would like to thank all parties that contributed to the success of the past three hackathons and invite them to continue working to achieve more successes in the remaining challenges. I also invite those interested in data to double their efforts to reach effective solutions to the UAE Hackathon 2020 challenges".

Al Mansoori emphasized that the Hackathon outcome in its current and previous two editions is a great wealth that we will make the best use of it. He added: “This hackathon embodies the wise leadership directives to work as one team, the government, private, academic sectors as well as individuals in a unique combination to analyze the available data and come up with solutions and ideas in the ten selected challenges. I am confident that the resulted ideas will help us in developing plans for the next fifty years and achieving UAE Vision 2021 and the Goals of the National Agenda”.

Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Director General of Sharjah Department of eGovernment, said: “The importance of the department's participation for the third year in a row in the UAE Hackathon under the slogan "Data for Happiness and Wellbeing" coinciding with the UAE Innovation Month 2020, is due to the importance of the event as an investment in thoughts and a platform through which community members, including employees, university students, entrepreneurs and ICT specialists meet to find innovative solutions and convert their creative ideas into tangible reality to face the rapid changes and enhance wellbeing in line with the UAE wise leadership directives.

We are pleased to be part of this event every year, which has gained double importance with the announcement of 2020 as the year of preparation towards the next fifty. The focus will be directed to embracing and adopting the creative energies of youth in the scientific and technological fields to provide creative solutions and development projects to enhance the governmental goals of an active and positive society.”

In the same context, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Qasimi emphasized that the UAE Hackathon goes beyond exploring innovative ideas, to be a model for utilizing and analyzing data, and enhancing its uses in a deliberate manner that does not violate the rules of privacy and security to reach new full categories of tasks and services.

Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Qasimi added: “The UAE always strives to be among the most innovative countries in the world. The ideas and projects upon which the UAE Hackathon is built are only a cornerstone for governments’ future foresight and seeking to develop proactive strategies through which we face all the challenges affecting the UAE journey.”

Sheikh Khalid Al Qasimi concluded: “The Department of E-Government in Sharjah is one of the main partners in UAE Hackathon, hence, we are always committed to providing all types of technical support and formulating smart solutions to achieve the desired goals of this event based on the importance of partnership between the various governmental and academic sectors, companies and community members.”

In turn, H.E. Eng. Khalid Sultan Al Shamsi, General Manager of eGovernment Department in Umm Al Quwain, mentioned that the UAE Hackathon is an opportunity to develop innovative solutions and ideas that contribute to enhancing the wellbeing levels and raising the happiness meter in the country. He emphasized the importance of hosting the Hackathon by the Government of Umm Al Quwain due to its great impact on enhancing the strategic partnership with the various institutions and entities in the country. He stressed on the Government's keenness to support national initiatives and innovative projects in various fields, which are in line with the announcement of the wise leadership of 2020 as the year of preparation towards the next fifty. H.E. Eng. Khalid Sultan Al Shamsi, General Manager of eGovernment Department in Umm Al Quwain said: “Our participation in the UAE Hackathon comes in support of efforts to foster innovation and creativity within the government work system, as it reflects our continuous endeavors to encourage youth to present creative ideas and initiatives that contribute to achieving community’s happiness, in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Umm Al Quwain.”

H.E. Al Shamsi said: “At Umm Al Quwain University, we are proud to host the UAE Hackathon in cooperation with Smart Umm Al Quwain at Umm Al Quwain Cultural Center from 11 to 13 February for the second year in a row.  Umm Al Quwain University believes in its social role, under the directives of H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, to support the UAE Vision in this regard, which is supported by the goal of the UAE Hackathon for this year in terms of providing opportunity for hundreds of youth to use open data as a mean of innovation, and contribute to promoting the economic growth of the country, so that they use the available data to reach practical solutions that contribute to addressing existing problems, and help build a prosperous and happy future.

Umm Al Quwain University has prepared its students to participate in this big event by forming 9 teams to compete in presenting useful, unique and applicable ideas that add to the UAE innovations record, hoping to achieve advanced positions to gain the honor of representation at the UAE pavilion in Expo 2020.”

Dr. Karim Seghir, the Chancellor of Ajman University, highlighted the importance of hosting the UAE Hackathon “Data for Happiness and Wellbeing”, organized during the UAE Innovation Month 2020, by the university for the third year in a row, due to its impact on enhancing strategic partnership with various UAE institutions and entities. He assured the university’s keenness to support national initiatives and innovative projects in various fields.

Dr. Karim indicated that Ajman University has provided supervisors and judges over the days of hosting in support of this competition, as it brings together hundreds of teams to represent the various segments of society who will analyze the data available to reach solutions in many areas such as smart cities, health, education, etc., in line with the announcement of the wise leadership of 2020 as a year of preparation towards the next fifty.

Maryam Al Jallaf, Data Analysis Specialist in Ajman Digital Government, said: “The UAE Hackathon is an arena of creativity, competition and enhancement of national cadres experience by stimulating innovation, which has become a characteristic of all the UAE’s entities”. Al Jallaf indicated that the use of Ajman open data in this challenge enriches the experience of Ajman government entities, stressing that this participation enhances collaboration between the government, the academic sector, companies and members of society.

Those wishing to participate in the remaining hackathons can register via the hackathon website. All participants will receive specialized training in the field of data analysis, in addition to a certificate of participation by TDRA. The winners will be announced at a ceremony held for this purpose on March 3 in Dubai, in conjunction with the International Open Data Day, where the top three winners of each emirate will be honored.

The UAE Hackathon in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah will take place this week from 16 to 21 February. Dubai Hackathon will be launched in the fourth week, from 24 to 26 February. The closing ceremony will be held on March 3, during which the winners will be announced and the best projects presented.