Huawei has announced that the highly anticipated Global Finals of its ICT Competition will take place from May 22-25, 2024, in Shenzhen, China. The event is expected to bring together an estimated 140 teams from over 40 countries to compete in the global finals and showcase their ICT knowledge and skills and celebrate technological innovation.
The regional teams were picked during the Middle East & Central Asia regional final, held in Manama, Bahrain, in December 2023. The seventh edition of the competition attracted a record-breaking 27,500 students from over 600 universities across 21 countries in the region, a testament to the growing importance of ICT skills in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Twenty teams will represent Middle East and Central Asia (ME&CA) in the global finals, split into two categories. The first category features the practical competition, comprising three tracks. Teams from Pakistan, Lebanon, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait will compete in the Network Track, while Qatar, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Lebanon will be represented in the Cloud Track. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Iraq, and Jordan teams will participate in the Computing Track. In the second category, the “Innovation Competition”, the spotlight will be on four regional teams from Iraq, Jordan, and Pakistan.
They will battle it out against their global peers for the prestigious awards on offer, including third, second, and first places in the various tracks, culminating in the coveted Grand Prize. Honorary awards will also recognize exceptional achievements in the “Technology for Women” and “TECH4ALL” categories.
Steven Yi, President of Huawei Middle East and Central Asia said, “We look forward to welcoming these bright young minds to Shenzhen, where they will compete, connect, and celebrate their outstanding achievements in ICT. The ICT Competition underscores Huawei’s unwavering commitment to developing local ICT talent, driving innovation, and accelerating education transformation through technology partnerships worldwide. The Middle East and Central Asia region boasts a rich pool of talent, and I am confident that the participating teams will excel in the global competition. They are poised to become future leaders who will drive digital transformation in their respective countries and play a crucial role in shaping the region’s emerging digital economy. ”
Alongside the competition, Huawei will also hold the “ICT Accelerating Education Transformation Summit” on the final day, followed by the awards ceremony. Participants will have the opportunity to tour the impressive Huawei campus which includes laboratories, research and development centers, production lines logistics hubs and many other facilities.
Since its launch in 2017, the Huawei ICT Competition has become the largest and most influential ICT talent development initiative in the Middle East and Central Asia, with 127,000 college students participating across seven editions of the competitions. The program aims to bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace, enhancing students’ future employment opportunities in the ICT sector through knowledge sharing, hands-on skills development, and exposure to the latest industry trends and technologies.
Huawei works closely with UNESCO, government authorities, colleges, and universities across the region to identify, support, and nurture the future leaders of the ICT industry. By providing access to state-of-the-art labs, R&D centers, and facilities, Huawei empowers students to develop their skills and showcase their innovation and creativity on a global stage.
