Nadia Hajj

Jordanian engineer who created the first Arabic coding platform for children

Breaking Barriers in Tech Education

Nadia Hajj (b. 1980 in Amman) disrupted tech education in the Arab world by developing CodeArab, the first Arabic-language coding platform for children launched in 2008. Growing up in a family of educators, she recognized the lack of STEM resources in Arabic, limiting opportunities for millions of Arab children. Her platform uses gamified lessons taught entirely in Arabic, with content aligned to national curricula across 15 Arab countries.

Innovative Pedagogy

CodeArab's unique approach includes:

• Localized content featuring Arab heroes and cultural references
• Virtual reality modules for math and science concepts
• Competitions like the Arab Youth Hackathon with over 10,000 participants

By 2016, the platform had 500,000 registered users, with 70% from underserved rural areas. A 2020 study by the Qatar Foundation found CodeArab users scored 30% higher in math and science than peers without access. The platform's open-source model has been adopted in Morocco and Egypt through partnerships with local governments.

Global Impact

Hajj's work contributed to Jordan's 2019 decision to mandate coding education in public schools. She co-founded the Arab Tech Alliance in 2015 to support women in tech entrepreneurship. Her TEDx talk Teaching the Next Generation in Their Own Words (2017) has over 2 million views. Though less known globally, her initiatives are credited with increasing Arab women's participation in tech fields from 12% to 28% between 2010-2020.

Recognition and Legacy

Hajj received the 2020 Arab Women's Excellence Award and was named one of Arab News' Top 50 Innovators. Her memoir Code in Arabic: Building Tomorrow's Tech Leaders (2022) details her journey. The Nadia Hajj Foundation now provides scholarships for Arab girls pursuing STEM degrees.