UAE, Abu Dhabi, 5 December 2023: The Higher Organizing Committee of Unmanned Systems Exhibitions (UMEX 2024) and the Simulation and Training Exhibitions (SimTEX 2024), held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and taking place from 23 to 25 January 2024 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), has announced the launch of the “Programming Challenge” competition, which aims to build national competencies in specialized programming sectors.

Organized by ADNEC Group in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Defense, UMEX and SimTEX 2024 are the only events of their kind in the region that specialize in the unmanned systems, robotics and artificial intelligence industries, while providing simulation and training in both the commercial and civil sectors as well as defense applications.

His Excellency Major General Dr. Mubarak bin Ghafan Al Jabri, Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee of UMEX and SimTEX 2024, said: 'The launch of these competitions form part of the Ministry of Defense's strategy to support and develop Emirati competencies and talents in various specialized sectors, with the software sector identified as one of the most important sectors that the future development vision of the United Arab Emirates over the next fifty years will focus on.'
He pointed out that UMEX and SimTEX 2024 are an ideal platform to host these competitions as they attract a wide variety of experts and national competencies, providing them with an opportunity to highlight their innovative skills in the field of programming, as well as connect with other programmers and experts at the national level. The Ministry of Defense is proud to support this initiative that stems from our ambition to promote technological progress and encourage a culture of innovation in the defense sector.

Humaid Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of ADNEC Group, said: 'We are proud to introduce this innovative platform that embraces Emirati talent in the field of programming, enabling them to connect with specialists and experts in their field. Hosting these competitions is an extension of ADNEC Group's efforts to collaborate with its partners, launching new initiatives at events that contribute to enhancing the event's position at the regional and international levels, while complementing the Group's efforts to transfer and localize advanced knowledge in the country.'
He added: 'The UMEX 2024 Coding Challenge will be an opportunity to support and implement initiatives that keep pace with the technology landscape in the UAE and the capital Abu Dhabi, as well as discover and nurture the best talent that will lead the future of technological innovation in the country, in line with the Group's vision to leverage technologies of the future.'

The competitions include two main tracks and aim to attract citizens with specialized skills, regardless of educational achievement, in a variety of programming languages including C, C++, Go, Java, JavaScript, Kotlin, PHP, Python3, Ruby, Scala, Swift, and TypeScript, to showcase their programming skills in five daily competitions that will be held during the UMEX and SimTEX 2024 exhibitions.
The competitions will be held at the 'Programming Challenge' platform at UMEX and SimTEX exhibitions at ADNEC, where participants will use the latest equipment and facilities for the competitions to create a professional atmosphere and competitive environment. All visitors at the exhibition are allowed to participate in the first track throughout the exhibition days by registering through the 'Programming Challenge' platform on the UMEX and SimTEX websites at least 30 minutes before the start of each competition.

The first track of the competition includes a unique 40-minute challenge that tests the skills of participants and their speed in applying software commands. The competitions will continue every day from 10AM until 2PM, with the first three winners in each round being honored with shields of appreciation in addition to one of kind prizes in order to enhance the spirit of competition among all participants in the competition.
The second track of the competition includes the UMEX 2024 Drone Programming challenge, taking place across three different levels and designed to assess the competence of participants across several advanced challenges. The second track has additional requirements with pre-registration taking place through the UMEX and SimTEX 2024 website.

These Coding Challenges provide an opportunity for participants to demonstrate their expertise in software development, hardware design and operations planning for drones in a fun and competitive way to stay up to date with the latest technologies in the industry.
During this competition, the organizing committee looks forward to welcoming the brightest programming minds in the UAE and providing an exceptional experience for all attendees and participants.