Thirteen Gulf universities set to compete and showcase innovation at Microsoft Gulf Imagine Cup 2009 regional finals

Now in its seventh year, the Imagine Cup 2009 is calling on students in the Gulf to set their imagination on fire and rise to the challenge to "imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today."

University students from across the Gulf region will showcase their innovative creations at the regional finals of Gulf Imagine Cup 2009 being held in Dubai on April 19th at The Westin Hotel. This year's competition will see three teams representing the country at the global finals of Imagine Cup.

Thirteen well known varsities from across the Gulf will participate in the regional finals - seven from UAE; one from Bahrain; two from Oman and three from Kuwait.

These include American University in Sharjah, American University in Dubai, UAE University, University of Sharjah, Bits Pillani, HCT Dubai Women's College, University of Wollongong, University of Bahrain, Gulf University of Science and Technology, American University of Kuwait, Kuwait University, Sultan Qaboos University and Sohar University.

Each team will have twenty minutes to present their work to a panel of judges comprising of senior members from the enterprise and government sectors.

This year's event is being supported by several organizations across the region including Burgan Bank in Kuwait, du Telecom in the UAE and the Information Technology Authority (ITA) in Oman. In addition, CNBC Arabiya, the 24-hour pre-eminent Arabic language business channel, is the media partner for Gulf Imagine Cup 2009.

"Imagine Cup provides a forum for students around the world to explore new ways to use the power of software to help address some of the world's toughest challenges,"

said Charbel Fakhoury, General Manager, Microsoft Gulf.

"The high caliber of the students and their projects is evidence of the high level of innovation seen in the student community today, with a clear potential for real-world impact. For Microsoft, this is another opportunity for us to highlight the necessity of supporting student talent in science and technology for future progress in the industry."

Explaining why du is sponsoring the Imagine Cup for the second year, Hala Badri, EVP Corporate Communications, du, said: "This programme fits into our Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, which is committed to supporting education and enabling young talent to grow. The Imagine Cup creates a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm - not to mention remarkable ideas from students who are working towards a career in computer science, information technology and the digital arts. It also gives students the ability to think beyond the usual boundaries to develop solutions to solve real global issues. We are pleased to be associated with this year's Gulf Imagine Cup to help foster innovation in the region."

Steven Hall, CEO, CNBC Arabiya adde:d, "Being part of the Microsoft Gulf Imagine Cup is a great way for us to move beyond the world of business by producing and showcasing innovative programming featuring students who truly want to make a difference in people's lives. The competition also gives students opportunities, separate from their academic work, to test and develop a wide range of skills. CNBC Arabiya is pleased to be associated with Microsoft Gulf in creating more awareness through the competition by encouraging students to harness the power of technology to develop innovative projects."

The winners of the regional finals will then advance to the Imagine Cup worldwide finals being held in Cairo, Egypt in July 2009 where they will pit their imagination against the world's best young programmers, technologists and designers. In addition to great cash prizes, the winning teams will be sent for a week long training in India or London on how to open their own companies and become successful entrepreneurs.

The Imagine Cup 2009 categories include Software Design, Embedded Development, Game Development, Robotics and Algorithm, IT Challenge, MashUp, Photography, Short Film and Design. A new category on Mobile Development has been specifically introduced by Microsoft for teams in the Gulf region in association with du in an aim to create a new generation of mobile applications developers. Six Gulf universities will participate in this category.

Students will be asked to create software solutions that are aligned to one of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The eight MDGs range from halving extreme poverty and halting the spread of infectious diseases to providing universal primary education. This year the Imagine Cup uses these ambitious challenges as a guiding light to inspire change all over the world.