TDRA Runs Youth Track of Ninth UAE Hackathon With Focus on AI Solutions

This year's edition runs under the slogan "Makes impact... beyond the idea" and coincides with UAE Innovates 2026, the national innovation month. According to WAM, the format asks participants to go beyond pitching ideas: they examine a challenge, develop a solution and use current technologies to turn it into something that can be developed further, working in teams.

The youth track has two categories. The "Emerging Generation" is for school students aged 11 to 17, and the "Leading Generation" is for university students aged 18 to 25.

AI at the Centre

Mohammed Al Zarooni, TDRA's deputy director general for the information and digital government sector, said the hackathon gives young people a practical way to apply technology, led by artificial intelligence, to real problems and to build analytical thinking skills. He said the youth track lets students engage directly with real-world challenges and turn what they know into workable solutions.

Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, TDRA's director general, said the authority regards young people as partners in building the country's digital future, not only as users of global technologies. He said this edition concentrates on what comes after the idea, strengthening participants' ability to understand problems, test solutions and reach practical results, and described it as a strategic investment in a generation able to help shape the UAE's digital future.

Scale So Far

Since it began in 2018, the UAE Hackathon has drawn 18,373 participants and received 494 innovative ideas, according to WAM. TDRA said the ninth edition's shift from generating ideas to producing lasting impact is in line with national efforts on innovation, digital transformation and quality of life.

The event is one of several AI skills programmes running in the UAE this month. The UAE AI Office and Emirates NBD separately held the UAE Codes hackathon for Emirati bankers this week.