Developing the digital economy is a major priority for the UAE and the country is looking to train and offer golden visas to 100,000 software programmers. As the physical flows of trade and finance of the 20^th century give way to the digital flows of ideas, information, insights and innovation in the 21^st century, the UAE is equipping itself to be the home of the digital goldsmiths – a.k.a. programmers and coders.

The country has launched a National Program for Coders which will offer golden visas to the best 100,000 global coders. The UAE is inviting coders to set up a base in the UAE and take advantage of the incentives and a freshly developed ecosystem.

The programme, supervised by the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office, will also provide financing options and other support to entrepreneurs and coders. The objective of the programme is to further improve the UAE economy’s competitiveness.

National Program for Coders: 5 pillars

1. Support coders, entrepreneurs, start-ups, large companies and the academic sector
2. Develop a platform to link coders with local companies and universities
3. Launch initiatives to nurture local coding talent
4. Attract the best foreign coders to the UAE
5. Suggest policies to empower the coding sector

The move is aimed at starting 1,000 digital economy start-ups within the next five years, said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

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“We launched a national programme for coders with Google, Microsoft, Amazon AWS, Cisco, IBM, HPE, LinkedIn, Nvidia & Facebook with aims to train 100,000 coders, establish 1,000 tech companies that will go global, & increase start-up investments from AED1.5 billion to AED4 billion,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted from @HHShkMohd, his official Twitter account.

The programme will offer coders an opportunity to cooperate with government and private sector entities in the UAE and abroad to roll out promising ideas. Besides 10 international tech giants, the programme will also have the support of local conglomerates such as Majid Al Futtaim, DWTC, ENBD and G42 besides local universities and digital platforms.

National Program for Coders: The Partners

All UAE government entities have been asked to support local and foreign coding talent. They are expected to work with start-up incubators, funding firms, universities and research centres to support coding-based initiatives and projects.

“The new programme represents a new step towards establishing our digital economy. The world is rapidly changing and the fast-growing digital economy will create new types of jobs. To thrive in the ever-evolving world, we must be ready to quickly cope with the emerging trends,” tweeted @HHShkMohd.

In its next phase, the programme will organise 10 hackathons for global coders to find solutions to 100 government, economic, technological, health and services challenges.

The UAE believes that young minds and national expertise are the main pillars for building a flourishing digital future, based on science, knowledge, innovation and technology.

The country’s successful experience in the field of digital and technological transformation will be a key enabler in implementing its strategic plans and promoting the development march.

Coders, here’s how to apply for the UAE golden visa

The National Program for Coders announced the start of the golden visa application process on July 11, 2021.

Coders of all nationalities and age groups may apply for the UAE golden visa through The Office of Artificial Intelligence in the UAE government or the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.

Applications are to be submitted by the government agencies responsible for issuing golden visas for qualified coders. Application eligibility extends to:

• Distinguished experts and talents who achieved success in various areas of coding;
• Those who work for pioneering international technological firms;
• Graduates of software engineering, computer sciences, hardware engineering, information technology, artificial intelligence, data science, big data, and electrical engineering.