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Tech & Business

8.3.2018

“Hajj Hackathon” places Saudi Arabia in the Guinness Book of World Records

Bringing no less than 2,950 participants, the largest Middle East hackathon launched this week in Saudi Arabia has broken the record of 2,577 participants held by India since 2012. It aims to develop innovative solutions to offer an ever more enriching experience to the many Muslim pilgrims.

Following the first women’s marathon last March, a different kind of race took place this week, for the first time in the Kingdom. For three days, nearly 3000 male and female  developers and programmers from more than 51 countries around the world met at the biggest hackathon competition in the Middle East.

Under the eyes of nearly 20,000 visitors, these young technology talents sought to develop innovative solutions to enrich the experience of millions of pilgrims traveling in the Kingdom for Hajj. They have worked on software development to improve services in food, accomodation, health sector, as well as  crowd traffic and commuting and waste handling.

Saudi Arabia, the new global hub for technology

By organizing such an event, Saudi Arabia is seeking regional and global leadership in the field of new technologies. Thanks to the involvement of large groups like Google, and to the presence of personalities like Jimmy Wales and Steve Wozniak, Saudi Arabia encourages knowledge transfer and stimulates the innovative skills of its young talents.

See also

Neom, Tesla, CERN, and ITER: The Technology Hubs of Tomorrow

Published on 3 August 2018