Even though the Qatari team, on which much of the Arab world’s hopes hinged following their qualification for the World Championships in the World Citizenship category, did not win a prize, they won the hearts of the judges as well as the media with their impressive presentation.
More importantly, the Qatar University student duo Wa’ed Hakouz and Nour Musa were not disheartened by the eventual result. “We are proud to have represented our country, which is a real honour,” Hakouz and Musa told Gulf Times, holding the Qatari flag.
The Qatari team’s project titled I Copy You is designed to help kids with autism. The idea is centred on a mimicking robot that helps kids with autism enhance their learning and communication skills.
Contestants from two other Arab countries, however, did make it to the list of winners. Bahrain’s enterprising female duo Alaa Abdulraheem and Marwa Buhaila literally, made a fashion statement by winning the third place in the Innovation category for their nail polish mixer application.
The Egyptian team also secured the third position in the Games category with their Puppy in the Bubble app, a puzzle game in which players control a naughty puppy that likes getting lost form its owner.
A message from former Microsoft supremo Bill Gates was also read out at the championship ceremony in which he hailed the global youth for their brilliant innovative ideas and hoped that these would serve to bring the kind of positive change that the world expects of them.
