Technology & IT | Sunday 29 March, 2015 2:45 pm |

Taking Part in Second Arab Mobile App Challenge Leads to International Success for Winning Team

Dr. Nasser Marafih, Group CEO, Ooredoo today congratulated the winners of the Global Mobile App Challenge, and applauded the high number of participants from the MENA region who reached the final stages of the international competition.

In all, 24 teams from 18 countries competed in the Global Mobile App Challenge, which took place during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier in March. An impressive seven teams from the Arab world took part, representing the highest proportion of MENA entrants in the event’s history, following the Arab Mobile App Challenge that took place earlier in 2015, supported by Ooredoo.

In all, 16 teams got through the semifinals and pitched at the Finals, including three teams from Kuwait, Algeria and Tunisia.

The team awarded first place at the Global challenge was the Tunisian team, who qualified for the competition via the Arab Mobile App Challenge.

The winning “Hero from The Past” mobile app is an educational gaming platform, which uses an engaging story to teach children about environmental responsibilities. It offers a feature that enables players to bring wearable technology and books into the game, by sliding the items on the back of their smartphone.

Dr. Nasser Marafih, Group CEO, Ooredoo said: “Ooredoo believes in supporting the digital lifestyles of our customers, and young developers like the ones who took part in this contest are leading the way in developing innovative apps that appeal to local audiences. Ooredoo will continue to nurture young talent by supporting contests like the Arab Mobile App Challenge, because we want to fuel the aspirations of the young developers, and enrich the lives of their potential audiences across our global footprint.”

The runner-up in the competition was a team from Indonesia with “Brainstat,” an application that monitors drivers’ conditions, by using a mapping system that captures brain waves to prevent accidents while on the road.

In the run-up to the Global Mobile App Challenge, Ooredoo and the Applied Innovation Institute organised acceleration day events in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as the AMAC Regional finals, held in Dubai in January 2015.

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 supports a rich portfolio of youth entrepreneurial initiatives across its footprint, and is a founding partner of the Arab Mobile App Challenge, a programme aiming to introduce and educate young people about entrepreneurship and the path to launching a start-up, as well as enhancing their business skills and design abilities.

The 2015 edition of the Arab Mobile App Challenge was Ooredoo’s biggest yet, with over 500 participants attending workshops, online seminars and the regional competitions.

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About Ooredoo
Ooredoo is a leading international communications company delivering mobile, fixed, broadband internet and corporate managed services tailored to the needs of consumers and businesses across markets in the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia. As a community-focused company, Ooredoo is guided by its vision of enriching people’s lives and its belief that it can stimulate human growth by leveraging communications to help people achieve their full potential. Ooredoo has a presence in markets such as Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Palestine, the Maldives, Myanmar and Indonesia. The company was named “Best Mobile Operator of the Year” at the World Communication Awards 2013.
The company reported revenues of US$ 9.1 billion in 2014 and had a consolidated global customer base of more than 107 million people as of 31 December 2014. Ooredoo’s shares are listed on the Qatar Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.
About the Applied Innovation Institute
The Applied Innovation Institute (AII) is a non-profit California institution dedicated to providing world class academic programs that deliver excellence in innovation and entrepreneurship around the globe. It is made up primarily of leading faculty from the top engineering schools in the world, and meets regularly to discuss and develop world class academic curriculum in innovation and entrepreneurship education.
Since 2011, it has annually developed and conducted the University Mobile Challenge, which involves over 70 universities internationally competing for the development of the best mobile apps and culminates in a grand final in Barcelona that coincides with the world GSMA conference.