Khalifa University holds Mobile Application Contest (MAC) in Abu Dhabi

Khalifa University today held the sixth annual Mobile Application Contest (MAC) in Abu Dhabi. This contest focuses on promoting an environment which fosters the creation of innovative mobile applications in the UAE and the Middle East, and provides participants with an opportunity to develop and demonstrate their mobile computing skills, the varsity said in a press release.

Participants in the competition submit culturally focused applications which are designed to run on mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. MAC is open to all university and college students in the UAE and Middle East.

During the Contest, 32 students from 9 different universities across the UAE and the Middle East, displayed their projects to the contest judges, at the end of the contest four outstanding projects were selected. The first place winning project was “joyFit – BlackBerry social Fitness & Entertainment application” which was developed by Alexander Fuchs ,Ahmed Yassine Benmosbah and Jamal Al Bloushi from American University in Dubai. The second place winning project “PuLSE: Personalized uLearning Student Environment” was developed by Omran Al-Hammadi from Khalifa University, while the third place winning project “SAWACAE: Mobile Software Application for Water Consumption Awareness” was developed by Hussain Al-Bloushi and Mohammed Toubar from ALHOSN University and the fourth place winning project “iDrive: Mobile application to filter calls while driving” was developed by Hiba Abu-Seedo from Abu Dhabi University.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President of Khalifa University, commenting during MAC 2011, said: “I would like to congratulate the winning students in this year’s competition. The mobile applications showcased this year reflect the significant progress made by UAE university students, which in turn reveals the evolution of higher education in the UAE. We at Khalifa University strive to provide students with a nurturing environment for them to develop their creativity and knowledge. The competition stands as an important platform with its latest scientific developments and stimulating constructive spirit as it provides students with the basic skills for their future careers.”

He emphasized Khalifa University’s commitment towards the higher education sector in the UAE, which has become the regional center for technological research and innovation. In addition, we are dedicated to providing superior academic programs, advanced technologies and resources to create a knowledgeable and well-rounded generation that contributes to the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision in building a knowledge-based economy.”

TRA Director General Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, in remarks at the ceremony said: “There is no doubt that the UAE plays a leading role in its region in the area of information and communication technology, and this is reflected in the progress we have achieved and we are achieving in the infrastructure of the ICT sector, which was reflected positively, for instance, in the performance of our mobile operators, who have witnessed a great expansion and improvement in the levels of telecommunications services they are providing in the country”.

Al Ghanim further stressed TRA’s interest in similar events which help develop a young generation capable of meeting the requirements of the current steady developments in the telecommunication and information technology sector.

CEO of the Khalifa Fund Dr. Ahmed Khalil Al-Mutawwa said the event provides an opportunity to support innovation and entrepreneurialism from an early stage. I am confident that the participating students will go on to become leaders in this field and will positively contribute to the advancement of mobile applications.”

The MAC 2011 was organized by the Computer Engineering Department at Khalifa University. The contest is sponsored by the Khalifa Fund, as well as the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Nokia, Emirates Advanced Investments, and RIM.

Over the past few years MAC has witnessed the development of practical, creative applications some of which have been adopted by institutions as well as being marketed commercially.

Khalifa University was established in February 2007 by a decree issued by the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to complement Abu Dhabi’s 2030 vision, which aims at building a knowledge-based economy that effectively contributes to the development of the UAE.

© Khaleej Times

UAE jobs down 10% in 6 months; Saudi Arab tops while Egypt down 25%: Monster Index

Jobs growth strongest in Saudi (+10%) while Egypt (-25%) saw steepest decline

Recruitment levels in the Middle East improved moderately in the six months to April 2011, according to Monster Employment Index Middle East, indicating a consistent improvement in the job market in the region.

On country specific growth, Saudi Arabia (up 10 per cent) was the strongest among the GCC countries in six-month growth. However, the study shows that available online opportunities in the UAE in the month of April slid 10 per cent below the November level. Jobs in hospitality rebounded but it was production/manufacturing, automotive and ancillary that led all sectors in six-month growth. Demand for marketing and communications/arts/creative professionals recorded strongest six-month growth despite steep monthly decline.

Egypt (down -25 per cent) saw online hiring recede further. The six-month view shows the country’s online jobs space dip by 25 per cent between November and April; the steepest six-month decline among all countries, according to the Index.

“Middle East employers eased up on recruitment activity in April, following particularly heated hiring sessions in the preceding months. It is unclear how large a role seasonal recruitment cycles play into the latest patterns seen but it is clear that the job market has remained relatively strong over Q1 and continues to remain heated for key sectors such as IT, healthcare, production and engineering”, said Sanjay Modi, Managing Director (India/Middle East/South East Asia), Monster.com.

According to six-month industry trends, online opportunities in April exceeded the November level in six of the 12 industries monitored by the Index.

Production/manufacturing, automotive and ancillary (up 12 per cent) was among the leading sectors in the Index in terms of six-month growth rate in April. On the other hand, retail/trade and logistics (down 31 per cent) charted the most dramatic downswing in recruitment activity between November and April among all sectors.

The six-month occupation trend shows that online demand for workers exceeded the November level in five of the 11 occupational categories monitored by the Index. Marketing and communications/arts/creative (up 36 per cent) recorded the sturdiest six-month growth among occupation groups. Software, hardware, telecom (up one per cent) registered positive growth in April marking the most dramatic improvement in trend among groups (up from -15 per cent in March to one per cent in April). Engineering and production (down five per cent) reached the lowest in the series since October 2010. 

© Emirates 24|7 

Boeing rescued, UAE Air Force welcomes newest recruit C-17 Cargo Planes

The six orders from the UAE are a lifeline for Boeing, which needs international orders to avoid shutting down the C-17 assembly line. The business from the UAE will help to employ thousands of manufacturing workers in California for more than six months.

Built to land on the short gravel runways of Afghanistan and able to carry a 61-tonne Abrams tank in its belly, the C-17 is one of the most rough-and-ready military cargo planes in the skies.

And last week it joined the UAE Air Force after an inauguration ceremony at the Boeing's assembly line in Long Beach, California.

As workers jubilantly waved Emirates and US flags, the top brass from the UAE Armed Forces were on hand to take delivery of a jumbo jet that will project the nation's image further.

Major Gen Staff Pilot Mohammed bin Suwaidan Saeed al Qamzi, the UAE Air Force and Air Defence commander, says the planes will "help expand our ability to perform humanitarian and strategic-lift missions in the region and around the world".

With six of the planes on order, costing an estimated US$191 million (Dh701.5m) each, final deliveries next year will make the UAE the world's third-largest operator of the aircraft after the US and UK, with one more than Australia.

The UAE will use the cargo planes for missions to areas stricken by floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Qatar has two of the jets and one often used in aid missions has been painted in the livery of Qatar Airways.

Its first mission was in January last year when it flew supplies to earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Two months later it delivered supplies after an earthquake in Chile.

The UAE is keen on this type of humanitarian focus, says Dan Darling, a Middle East defence analyst at Forecast International in the US.

"The UAE wants to increase its humanitarian efforts, which by doing so bolsters their diplomatic and soft-power profile," Mr Darling says.

The planes are also designed for strategic airlift to move troops, equipment and material over long distances, which could include support for the UAE's squadron of fighter jets that is helping to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya.

For nearly a decade, the UAE has maintained a peacekeeping force in Afghanistan that has been well received by the Afghan public.

"At first, I thought these were American soldiers and I wanted them to leave," a young Afghan man told the BBC. "But when they said they were Muslims, I knew they were our brothers."

There were about 175 troops in 2008 but there are now 35, according to the BBC and the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force.

The six orders from the UAE are a lifeline for Boeing, which needs international orders to avoid shutting down the C-17 assembly line. Last year, the company produced 14 of the cargo planes, but has slowed the line to produce 10 planes this year. It recently announced 1,100 redundancies.

At that rate, the business from the UAE will help to employ thousands of manufacturing workers in California for more than six months.

Boeing is also expanding its UAE operations due to the business, and is hiring technicians for a service team based with the aircraft, initially "near Dubai". The team will move to Abu Dhabi when facilities are completed, Boeing says.

© The National