His Excellency the President of Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Prof. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Tamimi, patronized on Sunday the closing ceremony of the 2026 Digital Innovation Hackathon, organized by the University, represented by the General Administration of Information Technology, under the theme “Innovative Campus Life.” The ceremony was held at the main auditorium in the University City in Al-Kharj Governorate, in the presence of the University’s vice presidents and senior officials.
The hackathon, which was held over three days from April 17 to 19, featured intensive innovation challenges and 48 hours of continuous work aimed at fostering digital creativity and transforming ideas into innovative, practical solutions through the use of modern technologies. A total of 27 technical teams qualified for the competition out of 39 teams that underwent a rigorous selection process, following nearly 150 initial submissions across three educational tracks.
In his speech during the ceremony, the University Vice President, Prof. Hamad bin Nasser Al-Turaiki, affirmed that the event reflected the convergence of creativity and ambition in shaping a promising technological future. He also emphasized the University’s commitment to supporting young talents and providing an enabling environment for developing their innovative capabilities in a manner that reflects national pride and aligns with the Kingdom’s comprehensive digital transformation.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, His Excellency the University President honored the judging committee, sponsoring entities, and organizers, and awarded the top three winning teams. Team Ufuq won first place for its Smart Educational System project and received a prize of SAR 15,000. Team Detector secured second place for its Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence System project and was awarded SAR 10,000, while Team Rushd came in third for its Smart Data Analytics Platform project, receiving SAR 5,000.
The University organized this edition in conjunction with World Creativity and Innovation Day, observed annually on April 21, in support of the Kingdom’s ambition to strengthen its position as a global hub for technology. This initiative also aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to build a knowledge-based economy driven by innovation and empowered by national talent.
