Ooredoo to Launch Third Cycle of the Arab Mobile Challenge

Mobilk - Ooredoo today announced that it will extend its support for the Arab Mobile Challenge, which has already completed two successful cycles and has now kicked off its third cycle for 2015-2016. 

Originally launched in 2013 as a pilot programme covering five countries, the Arab Mobile Challenge, co-founded by Ooredoo, welcomed nearly 700 regional teams from 14 Arab countries in 2014. 

The Global Mobile App Challenge enables teams of up to six members under the age of 35 to develop mobile apps designed to make an impact in the education, health, entertainment and employability/entrepreneurship sectors. 

Ooredoo’s role has been critical for the sustainability of the programme and its continued outreach, and in 2015 the company plans to invite young people to participate in the challenge from Algeria, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. Ooredoo supports a rich portfolio of youth entrepreneurial initiatives as part of its strategy to provide opportunities for youth across the Arab world.

Dr. Nasser Marafih, Group CEO, Ooredoo said: “Ooredoo supports young talent through initiatives like the Arab Mobile App Challenge because we want to enrich the lives of young people and encourage them to reach their full potential. Last year’s challenge introduced a range of life-changing apps to the marketplace, with particular focus on the traditions and aspirations of the Arab world. This year will deliver a host of new innovations and ideas that make a real impact on their respective communities.” 

With continued support from eco-system partners across the region, special endorsement from the GSMA, and a presence at the Mobile World Congress, the Arab Mobile Challenge is the largest platform of its kind in the region. It is the regional chapter in the Global Mobile Challenge, which hosts young, innovative minds from around the world.

Greg Young, CEO of Ooredoo Oman said, “We are very excited about being part of this innovative challenge. One of our missions is to support and enable the development of young Omani talent, and there are many budding ‘tech’ enthusiasts out there, who are just waiting for the right opportunity to showcase their abilities. We are looking forward to seeing the inspiring ideas they come up with”.

Graduating from the Arab Mobile Challenge 2014-15, the team behind the innovative game “Heroes from the Past”, took part in the Global Mobile Challenge in Barcelona. This team won first place and showed the world that young Arabs’ innovation and entrepreneurial spirit can take a lead on the world stage.  

This year, the Arab Mobile Challenge is introducing two tracks, one for ideas and one for early stage start-ups. This will enable people with technical skills and also people with great ideas that can translate into viable solutions to participate. This approach has been adopted to engage a larger pool of talent in the region and ensure that teams are being judged as fairly as possible based on their level of development.  

For the MENA region, AMC 2015 will run one-day boot-camps in different countries and provide remote acceleration with a toolkit covering the same material for participants who cannot attend. By registering on www.arabmobilechallenge.com, teams can receive up-to-date information on events. 

Partners on the programme include IE Business School, GSMA, Oasis500, Supcom, Wamda, The Space, Qatar Living, and The Queen Rania Centre for Entrepreneurship.

Finalists will be invited to Regional Finals in January 2016. Winners are eligible for either financial prizes or the opportunity for a fully-paid invitation to compete at the Global Mobile Challenge in Barcelona, also founded by the Applied Innovation Institute (AII), and hosted by the Mobile World Congress. 

For more information about the Arab Mobile Challenge and for registration, see www.arabmobilechallenge.com.