The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has signed a cooperation agreement with Dell Technologies to organize an Artificial Intelligence (AI) hackathon, on March 5-13. The aim is to build the capabilities of and equip young people with the in-demand skills in the job market in this field.

The hackathon has two tracks, one for university students and graduates, and the other for AI professionals and specialists.

The hackathon focuses on building an educational model that contributes to solving one of the real-world problems in the society, capitalizing on AI. This is achieved through creating an enhanced system for controlling traffic signal timing in a way that reduces the total waiting time of vehicles at traffic signals, thus reducing carbon emissions from cars.

Dell will be responsible for the technical development of the applications used in the hackathon, and will award prizes of total USD 12,000 to winners. The company will also organize online sessions to introduce AI, before the hackathon kicks off.

Moreover, a committee of experts and judges will be formed to evaluate the projects participating in the hackathon. Winners will then be selected according to the criteria set by the jury.

MCIT is to hold one of the online sessions on February 20, where the National AI Strategy and its contribution in the development sectors, such as agriculture and tourism, will be presented.