About the hackathon
Build with AI. Build for the UAE.
Innovating for Our Identity is Sandooq Al Watan's national online hackathon for Emirati students in Grades 8 to 12. Teams use AI to build a working solution to a real challenge about who we are: our language, our heritage, our families and our communities. The challenge stays sealed until kickoff, so every team starts from the same blank page.
Build something that works. Turn an idea about Emirati identity into a real solution in four days, with or without coding experience.
Learn from experts. Two live workshop days, in Arabic and English, get you ready before the challenge is revealed.
Win and keep going. First-place and runner-up prizes. Winners get mentoring and become school mentors in Sandooq Al Watan's Agentic AI Program.
Bring your family in. Family members can help as testers and sources of knowledge. They aren't team members, and the strongest family involvement wins the Family Award.
- Register16–30 Nov
- Onboard7–13 Dec
- Prepare15–16 Dec
- Hack18–21 Dec
- Final22 Dec
The journey
Five stages, all online
From sign-up to the final pitch in under six weeks. Every stage happens on one ETGAH platform.
- 01
Register
16–30 NovSign up and ask your parent or guardian to confirm.
- 02
Onboard
7–13 DecGet your event login and try the AI tools on a short starter task.
- 03
Prepare
15–16 DecTwo live online workshop days, in Arabic and English.
- 04
Hack
18–21 DecThe challenge is revealed at the kickoff livestream. Build it with your team.
- 05
Final
22 DecFinalists pitch live to the judges, followed by the awards.
Who can join
Open to Emirati students in Grades 8 to 12
You don't need to know how to code. You'll build with AI tools, and students who already code can use the code editor.
- UAE nationals in Grades 8 to 12Sandooq Al Watan checks eligibility before access is given.
- Teams of 2 to 4Bring your friends, or choose “Match me” and we'll find you a team.
- A parent or guardianThey confirm your registration and give consent by email.
- A computer and an internet connectionEverything runs in the browser. No software to install.
How registration works
You start. Your guardian confirms.
You sign up
Confirm your email, add your details and choose your team. About 5 minutes.
Your guardian confirms
We email them a link. They confirm their email, check your details and give consent.
Eligibility is checked
Sandooq Al Watan checks by 4 December.
You get your login
Your event login appears on your status page when onboarding opens on 7 December.
The challenge
Four national themes. One sealed challenge.
Each theme has one challenge statement, written with Sandooq Al Watan. Your team picks a theme after the reveal.
Arabic and the Emirati dialect
Preserving and sharing heritage
Bringing generations together
Community, accessibility and environment
The challenge statements stay sealed until the kickoff livestream on 18 December.
FAQs
Questions from students and parents
Can I register without a team?
Yes. Choose “Match me” at the team step and we'll place you in a team before onboarding starts on 7 December.
What if my guardian doesn't get the email?
Ask them to check their junk folder. From your status page you can resend the invitation or correct their email address.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. With the AI app builder you describe an app and watch it being built. Students who already code can use the code editor.
Which language can we build in?
Arabic, English or both. Workshops are delivered in both languages.
What happens to my data?
It is used only to run this pilot, stored securely with ETGAH on Amazon Web Services in Frankfurt, Germany, and deleted 30 days after the final. Sandooq Al Watan receives winners' contact details only if your guardian agrees.
Registration is open until 30 November
It takes about 5 minutes. Your guardian then confirms.