Nokia launches its “Fusion Challenge: Nokia N78 maphotograffiti” competition to integrate technology with social values in Saudi Arabia

Three teams will compete in both Riyadh and Jeddah to find the missing graffiti puzzle pieces, take a photo of each piece and upload to Nokia website

Nokia, the world leader in mobility, announced today the launch of its “Fusion Challenge: Nokia N78 maphotograffiti” program, a social competition that will engage Saudi youth in the adventure of their lives by using Nokia’s latest technology to help promote socially responsible values derived from sayings of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) communicated in a modern and youthful tone relevant to the young generation in the Kingdom.

The competition will take place in Riyadh and Jeddah. Three teams will be competing in each city to find the graffiti puzzle pieces scattered around the city. Once a graffiti piece is found, the team will use their Nokia N78 phones to take a picture of each piece and upload it to the competition website www.nokia.com.sa/graffiti. Thanks to the Geo-tag application, built in all N78 devices, pictures will appear on the website with the exact coordinates of the location the picture was taken. Once the puzzle is complete, the teams will be able to reveal the message on the graffiti paintings. The winning group from each city will be entitled to a grand prize; an exciting Safari trip in Rabigh north of Jeddah for two days.

“Nokia is implementing this recreational program in order to encourage young people of Saudi Arabia to benefit from their leisure time especially during the summer season,” said Mohammed Hassan, General Manager, Nokia International Oy. “We hope to help integrate modern technologies with various aspects of our lives in the Kingdom, and to stimulate the competitive spirit among the youth to promote important values in our society.”

Commenting on the use of Graffiti art in the competition, Nokia’s Head of Marketing KSA and Yemen, Moussa Obeid, said: “Graffiti art is very popular nowadays amongst the young generation of Saudi Arabia especially after the endorsement they received from the local authorities in the past few years”. Saudi graffiti artists practised what they called “self-expression to receive recognition” during the Jeddah Summer Festival last year on the 120-meter-long graffiti wall that was established by the municipality officials.

If you are young and adventurous, this is your chance to make a difference! Go to www.nokia.com.sa/graffiti and fill in the online application to get a chance to participate in the competition and get recognized by Nokia. Terms and conditions apply; please see the website for details.

Nokia N78 packs a powerful range of technologies, including high-speed connectivity via WLAN and HSPDA 3.5G, and a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics for great image quality. When it comes to navigation, the Nokia N78 knows its way around with an integrated A-GPS. The Nokia N78 comes with integrated FM transmitter. When connected “NOKIA” appears on the radio display indicating to the listeners that they have tuned into the correct music station – the Nokia N78. The phone supports microSD cards currently available up to 8GB, internal speakers and support for standard 3.5mm headphones, as well as Nokia Internet Radio, giving instant access to thousands of radio stations around the world.

© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)