IGCF: Investment In Digital Skills Vital For Future-ready Youth

Umer Jamshaid Published September 11, 2025 | 10:30 PM

SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 11th Sep, 2025) Celina Lee, CEO and Co-founder of Zindi platform, said that artificial intelligence is no longer merely a futuristic technology, but has become an essential tool to empower young people in the middle East and Africa by applying their skills to develop innovative solutions to real challenges facing governments and societies.

Speaking to the Emirates news Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the International Government Communication Forum, Lee explained that the platform has established a technical community of more than 100,000 developers specialising in artificial intelligence who collaborate to design practical applications.

She noted that the model involves presenting real challenges—such as predicting urban traffic congestion—to this community of developers, who then compete over a period of about two months to propose solutions, while receiving continuous feedback to enhance their skills.

According to Lee, the intellectual property rights of the final solutions remain with the party that posed the challenge, ensuring that innovations can move from theory to practical implementation. She referred to cooperation with the Government of Barbados as one example of this approach.

On the future of artificial intelligence in the region, Lee described the United Arab Emirates as “a very promising environment,” citing its ambitious youth and their eagerness to advance skills in emerging technologies. She stressed that the impact of AI now extends across all key sectors, including government services, healthcare, education, and finance.

She concluded by underlining the importance of investment in youth digital skills, stating that artificial intelligence should be seen not only as a technological trend, but as a driver of sustainable development and smart transformation.