Omantel, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, recently concluded the second version of Omantel Olympics for Coding, which was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was held on December 28-29 for the students selected from previous stages of the competition.

Omantel Olympics for Coding aims at building a generation of talented students by enabling them to understand the general foundations of software and information technology. The Olympics also aims to enable students to keep pace with rapidly developing IT systems, enhancing the educational process in the sultanate, and creating an  environment conducive to innovation and creativity.

The Omantel Olympics for Coding is based on the procedural coding which serves as an introduction to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), big data among others. 

A number of students have already qualified to participate in international competitions.

Laila Mohammad al Wahaibi, manager of Corporate Social Responsibility at Omantel, indicated that Omantel Olympics for Coding is one of the most important CSR initiatives of Omantel. 

She said, “The objective of the Olympics is to raise the technical capabilities of Omani youth and enable them to participate and contribute to the digital transformation process in the sultanate during the next stage. It also aims to increase awareness of the importance of technology in the development and innovation journey in Oman, as well as encourage students to benefit from the digital world.”

“Moreover, the competition is one of the means to discover talented students who will together form a national team that can participate in international coding competitions,” she added.

Maya Said al Azaria, director of the Innovation and Scientific Olympics Directorate in the Ministry of Education, emphasised the role Omantel played in the success of this edition of the Olympics, in which a group of students representing various schools of the sultanate took part.

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's edition was implemented virtually, which had a great impact on emphasising the importance of employing technology and programming in all aspects of life,” she said.

“Omantel is a major partner with the Ministry of Education in several programmes, especially those related to technology. Omantel serves as a role model for other companies in the field of CSR programmes as it invests heavily in youth development.”

Award winners: Yasin Ahsan Uganeh from Hafs bin Rashid School in Muscat governorate; Said bin Saud bin Sulaiman al Qasabi from Balarab bin Sultan School, Dakhliyah governorate; Mohamed bin Abdulhamid bin Hamed al Hinai from Saleh bin al Mutawkel School in Dakhliyah governorate; Ghaith Mohamed Abdulwahab from Sheikh Nasser bin Rashid al Kharusi School in Muscat governorate; Abdulmalik bin Sulaiman bin Salim al Lamki from Moosa bin Nasir School for Basic Education in Muscat governorate; Moanis bin Hilal al Khusaibi from Shujaa bin Wahab School in Muscat governorate; Ghaida bint Salim bin Sulaiman al Kindi from Hail al Awamer School for Basic Education in Muscat governorate; Mohamed bin Hasan bin Abdullah al Ajmi from Ibn al Nafis School in Muscat governorate; Ahmed bin Ibrahim bin Yahya al Abri from Abu Said al Kudmi School in Dakhliyah governorate; Elaph bint Ahmed bin Khalfan al Shidi from Saham School for Girls in North Batinah governorate. 

Source: https://muscatdaily.com/Oman/389238/Ministry-of-Education,-Omantel-conclude-Olympics-for-Coding