The Applied Innovation Institute's Global Mobile App Challenge, which took place during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in March, featured 24 competing teams from 18 countries. An impressive seven teams from the Arab world took part, representing the highest proportion of Middle East & North Africa entrants in the event's history. The Global Mobile App Challenge followed the Arab Mobile App Challenge (AMAC) that took place in January. In all, 16 teams got through the semifinals and pitched their apps at the finals, including three teams from Kuwait, Algeria and Tunisia. The Tunisian's won with their, “Hero from The Past” mobile app. This is an educational gaming platform that uses an engaging story to teach children about environmental responsibilities. It offers a feature that enables players to bring wearable technology and books into the game, by sliding the items on the back of their smartphones. The runner-up in the competition was a team from Indonesia with “Brainstat.” This is an app and gadget combo which ensures that drivers are alert. The mapping system captures and monitors brain waves, and issues an alert if needed, to prevent road accidents. In the run-up to the Global Mobile App Challenge, mobile operator Ooredoo and the Applied Innovation Institute organized acceleration day events in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as the AMAC Regional finals, held in Dubai. For the Global Mobile App Challenge, teams of up to six members under the age of 35, developed mobile apps designed to make an impact in the education, health, entertainment and the employability/entrepreneurship sectors.