Hackathon Technology and Innovation brings together the minds of “Gulf Youth”

The Federal Youth Corporation, in cooperation with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the digital government, organized “Hackathon Technology and Innovation for the youth of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries 2025”, with the aim of enhancing cooperation and exchanging experiences between young people in the fields of programming, design and innovation, and a group of creators met in the event to work within teams to develop innovative technical solutions that address local and regional challenges using the latest technologies, while raising a challenge on employing intelligence Artificial skills development, and filling the skills gap in high -tech sectors, in the presence of ministers, officials and experts in the technical field.

The Hakathon will be held at the Mohammed bin Rashid Library in Dubai for three days, from April 28 to 30, where projects are presented to a committee of experts and specialists.

In his speech during the opening of the “Hackathon Technology and Innovation 2025”, this event embodies the commitment of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to empower youth and provide a stimulating environment that allows them to innovate sustainable technical solutions.

He emphasized that the Hakathon represents an inspiring platform in which young minds meet to exchange knowledge and refine skills, in order to enhance their role in building a future based on creativity and technological development.

He added that the Gulf youth are the main pillar of the development process in the region. He pointed out that such activities contribute to developing their capabilities in the areas of artificial intelligence and programming, and give them the necessary tools to present their ideas to investors and turn them into realistic projects. He also called on the participants to use this opportunity to enhance their skills and move with confidence towards a future led by innovation and knowledge.

For its part, the Director of Projects at the Federal Youth Foundation, Sheikha Al Ali, confirmed that the Hakathon constitutes a vital platform for developing implementable technical solutions that contribute to building innovative digital applications and platforms that can be developed in the future.

She added that the event also aims to enable young people to gain effective tools to present their projects to investors, in order to guarantee that their ideas into realistic and sustainable solutions serve their societies and support future development paths.

The program, an expert and coach of innovation and the foresight of the future, started the Emirati Hoda Zuweid, who presented the “Breaking barriers” session, with the aim of motivating the participants to get to know each other and communicate in a fun and useful way. The session included motivational activities such as “dating ball” and the “rug and colored balls”, which strengthened teamwork among the participants in a way that stimulates creative thinking and expressing ideas.

She emphasized that “Hakathon” constitutes a dynamic platform for discovering talents that may not emerge in traditional environments, and indicated that practical challenges and time pressure in such events contribute to highlighting the creative capabilities of the participants.

She explained that her experience in innovation enabled her to direct the participating teams towards future thinking and develop sustainable solutions that meet the needs of society, and stressed that the level of creative thinking that young people showed was remarkable, and ideas varied between advanced technical solutions and innovative business models that reflect maturity and boldness in the offering and a clear spirit of the initiative.

Participants in this Gulf technical forum also spoke in special dialogues to «Emirates Today», and they confirmed that the meeting constitutes a fertile environment for convergence of minds and competencies and exchanging experiences between young people from all countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab Gulf States.

Applied physicist at the University of Sharjah, Emirati University, Ghalia Al Balushi, said about her participation in the “Hakathon”, that the event contributes to stimulating practical thinking among young people and directing their skills towards creating solutions that support data analysis, especially in light of the expansion of digital transformation and the dependence of institutions on data storage techniques. She pointed out that this field is pivotal in detecting gaps and improving the efficiency of systems, which opens the way for the design of innovative platforms and applications, environmentally friendly and user, which meets the needs of individuals and institutions alike.

The first engineer development engineer in the Emirates Space Agency and a team guide in “Hakathon”, Hamid Al -Hashemi, stressed that awareness of the aspects of technology is no longer an option, but rather a necessity in light of the accelerated digital transformation that includes all sectors. He explained that the daily dealing with data and networks requires continuous keeping pace with the latest technologies, to ensure that they are used efficiently and safely.

He pointed out that the Emirates National AI strategy 2031 represents an advanced step towards consolidating the state’s position as a leading destination for artificial intelligence, and an open technology test platform. He pointed out that this strategy reflects the UAE’s commitment to adopting international best practices, and stressed that the country is a pioneer in this vital field.

The specialist in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, Omani engineer Saeed Al -Abri, stressed the importance of enhancing the awareness of future generations and keeping pace with the rapid developments in the fields of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, in order to address the future challenges related to information security and digital structure.

On the other hand, the artificial intelligence engineer, the Qatari Saif Al -Hail, explained that specialized technical functions such as “moral hacker” are no longer just theoretical concepts, but rather a tangible reality that constantly develops in line with technological progress. He stressed that these roles have increasing importance in enhancing the security of digital systems, especially in light of the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence applications, as they contribute to confronting cyber threats and data protection.

The Bahraini electronics engineer, Raneem Al -Awadi, stressed the importance of the availability of specialized jobs in programming and software development, and indicated that these jobs play a vital role in protecting society and enhancing its security, especially in the vital sectors such as health, energy and oil. She added that the development of specialized software helps to improve the efficiency of systems in these vital areas, and ensures their sustainability and safety in facing future challenges.