UAE Hackathon 2026
About this competition
UAE Hackathon 2026 brings university students from across the UAE together to develop innovative ideas that address real national challenges. Over three days, teams move from understanding the problem to building a prototype and a business model canvas, then pitch to a panel of judges.
Themes: Family-Centric Digital Society; Inclusive Digital Accessibility; Responsible AI & Smart Cognitive Government; Digital Trust & Cybersecurity; Zero Bureaucracy & Seamless Government.
To register, one member per team fills in the IEEE Student Branch form, which links to the official registration site. Each member then registers individually with UAE PASS, and the team is created on the site under the Sharjah & Ajman hackathon and the Pioneers Track.
Key facts
- Eligibility
- University students aged 18–25
- Team size
- 2–7 students
- Prizes
- AED 20,000 / 15,000 / 10,000; AED 5,000 each for 4th–10th
- Recognition
- Certificates for all participants
- Registration
- UAE PASS required
Source: TDRA, via IEEE Student Branch, Ajman University