TRA Hosts the Activities of the UAE Drones for Good Award in Collaboration with Dubai Internet City

17/02/2017

The activities of the third annual edition of the UAE Drones Award for Good and the AI & Robotics Award for Good, hosted by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authorities (TRA), represented by the Information & Communication Technology Fund (ICT Fund) , in Dubai Internet City.

This Award is held under the patronage and with the presence of H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. A number of 40 teams have reached the finals out of 350 applications, including 20 teams from the UAE.

Commenting on these efforts, Engineer Omar Mahmoud, Acting CEO of ICT Fund, said: “This event has a particular importance for being a special meeting platform for drones and Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts, allowing them to compete and share experiences on how to use modern technologies for the best of humanity. This goes in line with the vision of our wise leadership aimed at enhancing the country’s position on the global innovation map, as well as developing the national talents to be competitive in this field on the international level.”

He added: “Hosting this event is a part of the ICT Fund’s commitment to search for owners of creative and innovative ideas among the citizens of our country, and provide them with the required support and care to be able to transform these ideas into practical projects and solutions that enhance the process of sustainable development in the UAE.”

Moreover, Ammar Al Malek, CEO of Dubai Internet City, said: “Drone development for good in the UAE has continued to be on the rise and for good reason. Dubai Internet City is lead sponsor and host of the competition in an effort to help drive the National Innovation Strategy and continue to encourage innovation and creativity across various key industry sectors in the UAE. With over 1,600 companies and business partners residing in Dubai Internet City, innovative ideas from the competition can be incorporated into the current workforce to turn these ideas of tomorrow into realities of today. In regards to robotics and AI technologies, they are regarded today as the next step to humanity’s journey towards the future of promoting social good. With over 300,000 employed around the globe in industrial robotics, we are proud to be providing a first of its kind global platform that focuses on the benefit of society and our local business ecosystem.”

Ammar added: “We are committed to developing the local technology community and supporting start-ups entrepreneurs as well as local and regional ICT companies. Such initiatives will also lead to new and exciting career opportunities for rising IT talents, and become part of the vibrant community that builds connections between industry players and entrepreneurs through continuous collaboration and innovation.”