The hackathon challenges the participants to leverage technology to enhance productivity in important sectors of the economy
Dubai is hosting Spark AR Hackathon Challenge, which is organised by the Meta Platforms which owns the biggest social media network in the world, Facebook. This is the first time that this prestigious international challenge is being held in the Middle East. The Coders HQ initiative of UAE and the Museum of the Future at Dubai are co-hosting this international challenge along with Meta Platforms.
The Prime Minister’s office on Tuesday said that the participants in the hackathon challenge will leverage AR to provide solutions for improving outcomes across various economic domains.
The Spark AR Hackathon Challenge started on 23rd May 2022 and it will run till 17th June 2022. This challenge is open to developers and creators from all over the world.
Omar AI Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work spoke during the launch of this international challenge. He said that this international challenge keeps pace with the accelerated developments in some sectors. These sectors are related to human life and are pushed by modern technology, data, and digital solutions. He further added that events like Spark AR Hackathon Challenge contributes to finding viable proactive solutions. It does this by stimulating innovation and continuous improvement to create a Digital economy that is based on knowledge and innovation.
In the last few years, the growth of AR is truly amazing. It is being implemented across various domains to significantly improve the user experience. The growth of AR is primarily driven by AR-powered smartphones and smart glasses.
However, the biggest advancement that AR has made in recent times is in the Metaverse. Metaverse is a virtual space that provides its users a platform to interact using 3D models. Meta is calling it one of the crucial components of the next stage of the evolution of the World Wide Web.
According to the Grand View Research, the worldwide AR market which was pegged at $ 25.33 billion in 2021 is expected to grow at an annual compound rate of 40% from 2022 to 2030.
Realising the importance of adopting future technologies, the UAE government is focusing on using AR, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality to create an innovation-driven economy.
The Ministry of Economy, UAE, last month stated that new technologies, like AR and other innovations, attracted big investment in 2021. They added that of the $ 20.7 billion FDI inflows in 2021, a significant portion is directed towards developing AR and other emerging technologies.
The Spark AR Hackathon challenge has two major partners: Emirates and the Dublin-based professional service company, Accenture. They have asked the participants of this challenge to develop AR effects, on the theme “Mobility of Tomorrow”.
The work of the winners of this challenge will be featured on the social media platforms of Emirates and Accenture. Furthermore, there is also a cash prize amounting to $ 50,000 for the winner of this international challenge.
Fares Akkad, the regional director for the Mena region at Meta stated that the global Spark AR Challenge is helping to bring communities together to create a better future. It also helps in showcasing the values that AR can bring to the communities.
