InnovAIte: Shaping the Future with AI

In collaboration with the UAE Artificial Intelligence

Office and the UAE National Program for Coders

A hackathon run by high school students, for high school students

Third Edition: 9-11 January 2026

Registrations for the 2026 edition of InnovAIte open on the 24th of November! Be sure to register to secure your spot.

Key Information

  • The UAE InnovAIte Hackathon aims to encourage students, especially from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM, to delve headfirst into the emerging field of AI and create projects that positively impact the community around them.

    • Best Project - AED 7,000 + AED 35,000 worth of Hale Education Rewards

    • 2nd Best Project - AED 4,000

    • 3rd Best Project - AED 3,000

    • Best Female-Majority Team Project* - AED 2,000

    • Best Emirati-majority Team Project* - AED 2,000

    *Note: majority means that half or more of the participants must satisfy a condition

    Prize values are subject to change.

  • All projects will all undergo a specific judging criteria and will be assigned a mark. The top projects will then be selected to move onto the next round.

    Idea

    Uniqueness & Creativity - 15%

    How original is the idea? Has it been done before?

    Impact on community - 15%

    How does it impact/benefit the community?

    Vision and Sustainable Growth - 15%

    Where do you see the project in 5 years if you keep developing it? What is the plan from here?

    Functionality

    Completeness of the prototype - 35%

    How fleshed out is the prototype? Are all bugs fixed? Does the project successfully achieve the objectives outlined in its initial idea? How user-friendly is the interface?

    Presentation and Q&A

    Presentation - 20%

    Does the presentation define the problem statement clearly? Does the presentation communicate the solution clearly? Team’s ability to answer questions.

  • No prior experience in A.I. required, but at least 2 members of your team must have experience and knowledge of coding.

    To get a headstart on preparation, check the Resources page, Sample Projects page, and the 2024 Edition’s winning projects.

    You are free to use any online resources available to make your own project. You can use these to find inspiration and even help code. Just make sure your project is unique!

  • Date: Sunday 16th March

    Venue: University of Birmingham Dubai

    Timing:
    Start: 9AM
    Qualifiers End: 1PM
    Finals End: 5PM

The 2024 and 2025 editions have been smashing successes: 3-day hackathons challenging students to create an A.I.-based project to empower students and teachers.