UAE, June 26, 2016- The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has received a total of 1,300 mobile applications participating this year at the second edition of the ALECSO Apps Award, a mobile app development competition launched by the Arab League of Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO). The TRA said its efforts to promote the event incorporation with ALECSO, have resulted in the notable increase in number of participants compared to last year.

The winners will be awarded at a gala awards ceremony in Dubai in November 2016 on the sidelines of the UAE Innovation Week, a national celebration of innovation declared by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and considered to be one of the biggest innovation events worldwide. The TRA is coordinating with various UAE national committees such as education, culture and sciences to ensure the success of the award and contribute to the UAE’s development.

H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General, TRA, said: “The UAE’s focus on innovation is not limited to local projects and initiatives. The nation’s wise leadership envisions innovation to become part of the culture based on accumulated experiences that benefit everyone across all sectors of society and directs its promotion through meetings, conferences and awards. The ALECSO Apps Awards is one of the events which enhances the spirit of competition among the Arab youth and promotes interaction and the sharing of experiences. As the country hosts this year’s awarding ceremony, it is very encouraging to see the increased number of participants which shows their readiness to develop solutions that address the needs of the UAE community.”

“This competition comes at the heart of our country’s vision to promote smart transformation and establish smart cities and mGovernment. It is very well within the TRA’s strategic goal of establishing the foundation for e-government at the federal level and achieve customer happiness,” H.E. Al Mansoori added.

The annual ALECSO Apps Award recognizes the best mobile applications that have educational, scientific and cultural significance for the Arab World. It is part of a comprehensive project which aims to provide a technical and organizational environment for the Arab industry to flourish in the field of smart applications and digital platforms by developing the capability of Arab human resources to become experts in this field.

The award aims to recognize qualified youth in the region and encourage them to become creative and innovative and establish a network for mobile application developers in the region. The TRA said the active participation of institutions, academic organizations, high schools and government universities in the initiative has enriched the project and revealed many innovations from Emirati students.