RIYADH: A young Saudi programmer won a gold medal in the Gulf networking systems management competition after working nonstop for 21 hours.
Abdullah Bakhashwain, an intern at the Faculty of Communication and Information Technology, was among 80 participants in the contest held at Dammam Technical College.
He said his passion for computer literacy and his dream to represent Saudi Arabia in the international competition motivated him to work tirelessly and complete three software projects in record time.
“The win was not easy. It did not come on a gold platter, although the college provided all the facilities,” Bakhashwain said. He discovered, during the preparatory stage of the competition, the need for software to qualify to the last stage. Such a program was not available in Saudi Arabia, he observed.
“My perseverance and determination led me to search external websites which I found after 10-day struggle,” he said.
The Kingdom topped first place in the fourth Gulf skills competition with a tally of seven medals, including four gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
Oman came second with three gold, two silver and two bronze medals, while the UAE arrived in third place with one gold and three silver medals. Kuwait ranked fourth with two silver medals, and Bahrain came in fifth with four bronze medals.
Bakhashwain is now eyeing the World Skills Center competition. He also wants to set up a business enterprise related to computer maintenance.
Abdullah Bakhashwain, an intern at the Faculty of Communication and Information Technology, was among 80 participants in the contest held at Dammam Technical College.
He said his passion for computer literacy and his dream to represent Saudi Arabia in the international competition motivated him to work tirelessly and complete three software projects in record time.
“The win was not easy. It did not come on a gold platter, although the college provided all the facilities,” Bakhashwain said. He discovered, during the preparatory stage of the competition, the need for software to qualify to the last stage. Such a program was not available in Saudi Arabia, he observed.
“My perseverance and determination led me to search external websites which I found after 10-day struggle,” he said.
The Kingdom topped first place in the fourth Gulf skills competition with a tally of seven medals, including four gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
Oman came second with three gold, two silver and two bronze medals, while the UAE arrived in third place with one gold and three silver medals. Kuwait ranked fourth with two silver medals, and Bahrain came in fifth with four bronze medals.
Bakhashwain is now eyeing the World Skills Center competition. He also wants to set up a business enterprise related to computer maintenance.
