Majid Al Futtaim looks to train 5,000 female coders

For the UAE, developing coding skills is a key challenge, and the UAE’s National Programme for Coders aims to attract and train more than 100,000 coders

As demand for coders grows worldwide, a new program in the UAE is looking to teach 5,000 women how to code.

Majid Al Futtaim, the shopping malls, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has announced the launch of a coding program designed specifically for women – and the private sector’s first of its kind for the region. The announcement is in line with the government led initiative, ‘Projects of the 50’, aiming to attract 100 coders every day to the UAE’s workforce and attain the highest percentage of female coders per capita in the world in the next five years.

The new program from Majid Al Futtaim follows the launch of the UAE’s National Programme for Coders in July and will target university students, recent graduates and career women, as well as upskilling the company’s own labour force.

Alain Bejjani, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Holding said, “There are numerous invisible barriers that discourage women from pursuing a career in the digital space which has a knock-on effect, further widening the skills and gender gap. Research suggests that women make up only 28 percent of the global tech sector’s workforce and with the industry booming, now is the time to change this trajectory. The technology sector has tremendous opportunity for gender parity, and by creating the first corporate-led coding program for women in the UAE, we are committed to developing and nurturing the untapped potential that exists locally.”

Majid Al Futtaim will roll out several initiatives to encourage women to take up tech subjects, providing opportunities for upskilling, and support them to secure senior positions within business.

For the UAE, developing coding skills is a key challenge, and the UAE’s National Programme for Coders aims to attract and train more than a 100,000 coders.

Arabian Business. Sept 11, 2021