ICT Fund Concludes Participation in the Second Edition of “UAE Drones for Good Award”

06/02/2016

ICT Fund, an initiative by the General Authority for Regulating the Telecommunication Sector (TRA), concluded its participation today in the UAEDrones for Good Award that was held in Dubai Internet City from 4 to 6 February. This participation comes within the framework of TRA’s and ICT Fund’s strategies that aims at exploiting modern technology in serving humanity, fortifying UAE’s leadership, and positioning UAE as a pioneer in innovation.

This participation comes in the wake of an agreement that was signed by ICT Fund with the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs during December 2015. Under this agreement, ICT Fund is officially a key partner that sponsors the second edition of the award with 5 million Dirhams. This sponsorship comes in the framework of the fruitful cooperation between the UAE Drones for Good Award and ICT Fund, and following the directives H.H. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Dubai Ruler, to exploit innovative technology in serving humanity.

The agreement aims at unifying efforts to achieve the award’s goals which are; being a global platform that showcases the latest innovative inventions, and a competition arena where drones’ developers including innovators, manufactures, entrepreneurs, research centers, universities, and international academic institutions compete to serve humanity .

H.E. Dr. Abdulqader Al Khayat, ICT Fund Chairman, said: “This agreement embodies TRA’s strategic goals which include supporting UAE in transforming into a global center for ICT development and fortifying its international leading position in innovation with the aim of achieving UAE 2021 vision. It also reflects ICT Fund’s endeavor to support all efforts exerted to exploit modern technology in serving humanity.”

H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, UAE TRA Director General, stated: “This award represents the future trends of smart solutions, therefore, TRA eyes this award with great attention. We are always keen on supporting innovative youth in all fields. We are aware of the vital role that ICT plays in achieving the sustainable development goals and building a knowledge based economy. Driven by this awareness, we supported this award. Our support also comes in line with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Dubai Ruler that aims at utilizing technology optimally to serve humanity.”

“This agreement reflects TRA’s endeavor to support the transformation of UAE into a global innovation hub that inspires innovators and creative minds and encourage them to pursue research and development to provide ideas that elevate UAE competitiveness.” H.E. added

H.E. Saif Al Aalili, Coordinator General of the UAE Drones for Good Award, stated that: “This year, the award witnessed a wider competitive scope from various countries and sectors, and it proved that it has become a global platform for innovative initiatives that aim at utilizing technology in serving society. This fruitful cooperation with ICT Fund comes within the framework of the collaborative efforts exerted by various entities across the country to foster innovation and fortify UAE’s position as a global pioneer in technology.”

The award highlighted the humanitarian aspect of utilizing technology in general and UAV technology in specific. It also underlined the positive impact of innovating technical solutions to serve humanity. 20 teams participated from the UAE and various countries across the world.

The award’s judging Committee which consisted of prominent experts evaluated all international and local entries. The award that was launched by H.H. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum during the second Government Summit, highlights the concept of utilizing innovation solutions in improving governmental services and enhancing life aspects. The UAE Drones for Good Award is the largest award of its kind, offering a total prize money of AED 4.67 million (US$ 1 million for the International Competition winner, and AED 1 million for the National Competition winner).