KUWAIT: Zain joined the closing ceremony of Kuwait Hackathon, the nation’s biggest cybersecurity competition of its kind that was hosted at Kuwait University’s Cultural Center. The much-anticipated Hackathon was launched by CODED Academy and the National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC) and witnessed the participation of many aspiring Kuwaiti programmers and coders.

The closing ceremony was attended by H.E. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Al Khalid Al Sabah, National Assembly members Abdulaziz Al Saqabi and Abdulwahab Al Eissa, Director of the National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC) Major General Mohammed Bouraki, Director of the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) Dr. Ammar Al Husseini, Zain Kuwait Corporate Affairs Department Manager Hamad Al Musaibeeh, Co-Founder and CEO of CODED Academy Ahmad Marafi, and top officials from the public and private sectors.

Zain’s support as a Main Partner to this competition came in continuation of its efforts to raise cybersecurity awareness in the community and encourage aspiring Kuwaiti coders. The company was keen on contributing to upskilling national talents in cybersecurity, data protection, and testing the efficiency of government systems. The competition was joined by many programmers, and winners of the top three places were presented with large cash prizes. Those who showed promising talents were also offered special career opportunities in cybersecurity.

CODED launched this competition in response to the parliamentary initiative proposed by National Assembly members Abdulaziz Al Saqabi and Abdulwahab Al Eissa, which was adopted by Sheikh Talal Al Khalid. The competition was the biggest of its kind in Kuwait and aimed to increase awareness of cybersecurity and the protection of data, test the efficiency of sensitive government systems, and upskill national talents in cybersecurity.

Zain is proud to be one of the top strategic partners of CODED Academy throughout the years, a fruitful partnership that has contributed to empowering thousands of aspiring programmers and developers into the local market through numerous programs and initiatives for all age groups.

Many of Zain’s initiatives center around youth and education development, and as digital skills are gaining accelerating importance in the future of education and the economy, the company has put the development of programming and digital competencies of the youth at the forefront of its priorities. Zain is keen on contributing to preparing the next generation of local talents with the skills required by modern markets, most important of which are cybersecurity skills.

The Kuwait Hackathon competition aimed at increasing awareness of protecting data and digital systems, as well as encouraging local programmers to develop their skills in order to competently face the highly increasing cybersecurity threats. The competition offered optional workshops for those who wished to refine their skills before entering and competing.

The competition presented large cash prizes for winners to encourage every Kuwaiti programmer and coder to participate in defending the nation’s cybersecurity ecosystem. The first-place winner received KD 20,000, while the second-place winner received KD 10,000, and the third-place winner received KD 5,000.