King Abdulaziz University, represented by its Business and Knowledge Innovation System, concluded the "Prototyping Hackathon" organized in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Transport and Logistics. The closing ceremony was held yesterday, Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at the King Faisal Conference Center, in the presence of His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Transport for Digital Transformation and the Future of Transport, Engineer Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Ghannam, and the Vice President of the University for Business and Knowledge Innovation, Dr. Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Amoudi, amidst a notable academic and student attendance.
Strengthening the strategic partnership and keeping pace with Vision 2030
This event comes within the context of the technological and knowledge-based movement taking place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The collaboration between King Abdulaziz University and the Ministry of Transport and Logistics exemplifies the integration of roles between academic institutions and executive government sectors. This collaboration aims to achieve the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, particularly regarding strengthening the digital economy and developing the transport and logistics system through innovative solutions originating from the minds of Saudi youth. Such hackathons are essential incubators for transforming theoretical ideas into prototypes that can be developed and manufactured, thus contributing to raising the national innovation index.
Interactive environment and accompanying exhibition
The hackathon featured an interactive exhibition where participating teams showcased their innovative projects and prototypes to a judging panel and visitors. This open space provided a fertile environment for exchanging knowledge and experiences, allowing participants to build professional relationships with experts, investors, and relevant stakeholders. This, in turn, enhances the chances of transforming these projects into startups that will serve the local market in the future.
Crowning the winners in the innovation tracks
At the conclusion of the event, and after careful stages of presentation and evaluation, the partners and sponsors were honored, and the names of the winning teams in the four tracks of the hackathon were announced, which were as follows:
- Health Track: The "Athar" team won first place, while the "heilungband" team came in second place.
- Safety and security track: The "SafeBand" team won first place, and the "FLARE" team won second place.
- Transportation and Vehicles Track: The "Afaq" team won first place, and the "gyroguard" team achieved second place.
- Innovative Solutions Track: The "EcoMotion" team won first place, and the "MeshLink" team came in second.
Numbers and Meanings
The modeling hackathon witnessed fierce competition with 120 participants, distributed across 28 teams from various Saudi universities. The program primarily aimed to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical application, develop students' technical and creative skills, and establish direct communication channels with investors and decision-makers, thus underscoring the university's leading role in supporting the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem in the Kingdom.
