Program leverages advanced technologies to transform higher education and nurture digital intelligence talent across the Middle East and Central Asia region

Huawei has announced the launch of its groundbreaking "T.H.E. GOLD Talent" program in collaboration with the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE), which aims to transform higher education and foster the digital intelligence talent pool across the Middle East and Central Asia region to cope with requirements of the AI Era.

Revealed on the sidelines of the 2024-2025 Middle East and Central Asia (ME&CA) ICT Competition final, the initiative marks the beginning of Huawei's second decade of commitment to ICT talent development.

The landmark program comes at a pivotal moment set against the backdrop of an era defined by transformative technologies such as 5G-Advanced, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud Technologies, Cybersecurity, and Industry 4.0. The unveiling ceremony was attended by executives from Huawei, IITE, leading universities, and partners in the region, demonstrating the collective commitment towards nurturing ICT talent in the region.

Steven Yi, President of Huawei Middle East & Central Asia, highlighted the innovative nature of the project, stating: "We are proud to officially launch the 'T.H.E. Gold Talent' program. This program is an evolution of our current talent cultivation efforts, tailored to meet the requirements of the AI Era. Through this program, Huawei reaffirms its commitment to open collaboration, working to optimize the region's promising ICT talent pool in line with national plans and visions. We're leveraging our global knowledge and experience to support the region's intelligent digital transformation and the building of a sustainable, knowledge-based digital economy. This includes empowering universities with advanced technologies like 5G-A, cloud, and AI-based ICT education, including smart classrooms, to cultivate the next generation of highly competitive ICT leaders equipped to solve complex industrial challenges."

The "T.H.E. GOLD Talent" program represents a significant leap forward in Huawei's ongoing mission to empower nations' visions through sustainable ICT talent growth. The program aims to close the loop in talent cultivation by offering jobs and internships to all industrial stakeholders, not just Huawei. It also targets more proactive collaboration and offers parallel HR programs to unleash the talent’s value.

T.H.E. GOLD Talent is developed from a concept that aims to explore Thousands of miles, collaborate with Hundreds of universities, and Empower an intelligent future, while Gearing up together for countries to Own their future through Huawei’s Leading platform for the intelligent Development of intelligent talents.

This announcement builds upon Huawei's decade-long commitment to ICT talent development in the region. The program commitment extends to numerous global initiatives implemented in the Middle East and Central Asia, including Huawei's ICT Academy, global flagship program Seeds for the Future, the ICT Competition, and the Innovation Competition. The ICT Academy celebrated its 10th anniversary in the region at the Huawei ICT Competition final in Riyadh. This year's competition saw impressive participation, with over 31,000 participants from 640 regional universities across 19 countries.

Through partnerships with over 260 ICT academies in 19 countries across the Middle East & Central Asia region, providing comprehensive training and certification to hundreds of thousands of individuals. This commitment to developing the region's digital talent pool will only expand in the coming years. This extensive network, supported by over 2,000 qualified instructors, continues to play a vital role in developing the digital workforce needed to support the region's technological advancement.

Over the past decade, Huawei has energized national digital transformations and visions through a structured, comprehensive, and multifaceted platform for continuous and sustainable ICT talent growth. With the advent of the AI era, Huawei is poised to elevate its collaborative program to the next level. By focusing on cultivating AI-based, well-rounded talent with industrial problem-solving ability and transforming higher education using AI-based innovations, Huawei aims to foster and develop ICT talents effectively throughout their full life cycle.

The introduction of the "T.H.E. GOLD Talent" program underscores Huawei's vision of bringing digital to every person, home, and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. It reinforces the company’s position as a leading contributor to the region's digital ecosystem development, providing superior computing power where it is needed, when it is needed.