Hackathon format & key facts
Organized detailsOverview
The first Engineering Hackathon within IECE 2026 is accepting Saudi Arabia-based teams to develop practical engineering solutions across smart cities, engineering development and engineering innovation, with SAR 300,000 in total cash prizes.
Complete hackathon details
Registration and initial idea submission run from 6 September through 5 October 2026. Screening follows on 6–12 October, remote enrichment and mentoring run 15 October–11 November, developed prototypes are resubmitted 12–20 November, and finalists pitch in person at Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center on 14–16 December. The official organizer lists SAR 100,000 for first place, SAR 80,000 for second, SAR 60,000 for third, SAR 35,000 for fourth and SAR 25,000 for fifth.
Eligibility requirements
Teams must have 2–5 members. The team leader must be a Saudi national aged 18 or older; every team member must be aged 18 or older and resident in Saudi Arabia. A complete idea presentation is required, and the project must not previously have won or received an award in another competition or hackathon.
Tips for this hackathon
Practical Job and Scholarship guidance. These tips do not replace official rules or create new eligibility requirements.
- Read the rules, eligibility, judging criteria, required technologies and intellectual-property terms before forming your submission plan.
- Build a complementary team early and assign product, engineering, design, research and presentation responsibilities clearly.
- Optimize for the published judging rubric: demonstrate a real problem, working solution, measurable impact and a concise live demo.
- Prepare the repository, pitch deck, demo video and submission links before the final hours so upload or platform problems do not invalidate the entry.
- Check whether travel, finalist presentations, team-size limits or mandatory attendance apply before committing.
Verification notes
Verified on the Saudi Council of Engineers IECE 2026 hackathon page. Registration is explicitly 6 September–5 October 2026; final pitching is 14–16 December 2026. No registration fee is stated, so fee remains null.
Job and Scholarship is the discovery and verification layer. Confirm eligibility, dates, salary/funding and application instructions on the original source before submitting anything.
Saudi Council of Engineers — IECE 2026 ↗Browse current Job and Scholarship listings from Saudi Council of Engineers — IECE 2026 →
