A KAUST and KFUPM student team won at the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) AIoT Hackathon for their AgriDoctor project, an autonomous, sustainable, intelligent agriculture system. The team developed a business plan, trained neural networks for problem detection, and built an IoT device with agricultural sensors. The AgriDoctor system aims to improve crop yields and reduce resource consumption in agriculture. Why it matters: This win highlights the growing focus on AI and IoT applications in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the key domain of sustainable agriculture.
A team of MBZUAI students won the Pioneers 4.0 Hackathon by developing an AI-based predictive maintenance solution using sensor data. The solution uses data preprocessing techniques and the Prophet model to identify anomalies in manufacturing, leading to energy savings and preventing sensor outages. The hackathon, organized by MoIAT and EDGE, involved 15 students from UAE universities. Why it matters: This highlights the practical application of AI skills being cultivated at UAE universities and their potential to address industrial challenges in line with the UAE's 4IR strategy.
KAUST hosted Saudi Arabia's first National Hackathon of Energy, in partnership with the Saudi Electricity Company's Innovation Energy Incubator. Innovators collaborated to find technical solutions for the Kingdom's energy challenges. Three projects were honored: AI-HUB for cybersecurity, a smart circuit breaker, and 'Amn Al-Kafa’at,' a fire extinguisher system. Why it matters: This hackathon highlights the growing focus on using AI and technology to address energy challenges in Saudi Arabia, with KAUST playing a central role in fostering innovation.
The K2 Think Hackathon, organized by MBZUAI, selected 16 finalist teams from nearly 900 applications across 57 countries. The teams will compete in Abu Dhabi to build applications powered by K2 Think, an open-source reasoning system. The winning team's idea will be integrated into the K2 Think app. Why it matters: This hackathon highlights the growing interest in AI development and provides a platform for global talent to contribute to open-source AI projects in the UAE.
MBZUAI is hosting the K2 Think Hackathon, challenging participants to develop applications using the K2 Think reasoning model developed with G42. The hackathon involves a global idea call followed by a 48-hour build challenge in Abu Dhabi for the top 10 teams. The winning feature will be integrated into the K2 Think application. Why it matters: This hackathon provides a valuable opportunity to test and shape a cutting-edge AI model, potentially leading to innovative applications in various sectors like finance and education within the UAE and beyond.
This paper introduces a framework that combines machine learning for multi-class attack detection in IoT/IIoT networks with large language models (LLMs) for attack behavior analysis and mitigation suggestion. The framework uses role-play prompt engineering with RAG to guide LLMs like ChatGPT-o3 and DeepSeek-R1, and introduces new evaluation metrics for quantitative assessment. Experiments using Edge-IIoTset and CICIoT2023 datasets showed Random Forest as the best detection model and ChatGPT-o3 outperforming DeepSeek-R1 in attack analysis and mitigation.
KAUST and the Social Responsibility Association (SRA) are hosting their third annual AI hackathon at KAUST with 73 participants from across Saudi Arabia. The hackathon aims to deliver 14 social projects in technology and innovation across the tracks of social issues, housing, tourism, and education. KAUST supports the event to foster entrepreneurship and transform ideas into scalable solutions that serve society. Why it matters: The event highlights the growing focus on AI-driven solutions for social challenges within Saudi Arabia, aligning with Vision 2030's goals for digital entrepreneurship.