The National Program for Coders and the Emirates Group recently launched the UAE’s first coders club, called EK Koders. The initiative is aimed at attracting the best coders worldwide, and developing a well-equipped digital community in the country.
Club members will be encouraged to participate in coding challenges, and EK Koders will also organise joint trainings and workshops in the UAE, especially for technology and aviation.
“Major international tech companies” will be participating in the initiative, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Teleworking Applications, said.
"The National Program for Coders aims to launch a series of initiatives in collaboration with its global partners to support and encourage coders to continue innovating, develop their technological skills and knowledge, and provide a variety of workshops and supportive training programs in the field of coding,” Al Olama added.
Meanwhile, the UAE has also announced 100,000 golden visas available for coders around the world. Here’s what the UAE’s latest moves to attract coding talent to the country could mean for real estate.
SMART REAL ESTATE TRENDS
Building automation systems are gaining precedence in the real estate industries, while developers are also looking to integrate smart functionalities for future projects. Smart buildings are growing 13% in market value every year, and are forecasted to be worth USD 19 billion in the next three years.
Meanwhile, proptech trends ranging from virtual property viewings, to 3D architectural renderings and digital twins, are also coming to the forefront. These technology-first approaches are likely to become more prominent as the pool of coding talent grows in the country.
CODING LEADERSHIP IN RELATED INDUSTRIES
EK Koders aims to attract coders that are skilled in programming for operational improvements, and can help to build innovations in the space of aviation, travel, tourism and logistics.
Al Olama also noted in the company statement that coding is closely related to growth in the fields of aerospace, aviation, transportation, health, education, and economy. By building a base of world-class coders, the UAE could provide these sectors, which have bearings on real estate and construction, a boost in the digital age.
SUPPORTING ENGINEERING
Data has become an asset to real estate companies, and the construction industry is starting to move towards digitisation. The EK Koders initiative, for instance, will encompass engineering, coding, data and artificial intelligence abilities. With coding increasingly being seen as an attractive supporting skill to have, coding may no longer be just a nice-to-have for engineers.
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