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15 August 2023

Arab Youth Hackathon to Tackle Climate Change with ‘Hack for Change’

The Arab Youth Hackathon 2023, under the theme "Hack for Change", will take place through five separate national hackathons in Egypt, the UAE, Jordan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. The hackathon in Egypt is hosted by the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA).

Organized by PepsiCo in partnership with PepsiCo Foundation, the Arab Youth Center, and Plug and Play Tech Center, the Arab Youth Hackathon is a regional initiative spearheaded by PepsiCo during COP27 in a bid to engage with young innovators to scout for sustainable solutions. The event is made up of three-day hackathons focused on generating business ideas to combat climate change and promote sustainability in the industry, with a focus on the following themes: water, climate, circular economy, and agriculture.

The Hackathon targets young people between the ages of 18 and 35, including university students and early-stage entrepreneurs who either are looking to ideate or have a preliminary idea at the testing phase, which will evolve during the hackathons.

At the Arab Youth Hackathon, teams will work intensively for three days to develop their business ideas. They will receive support from mentors and sustainability experts. The winners will be announced at the award ceremony, and outstanding teams will receive sponsorship to participate in the final event in Dubai.

In the final stage of the hackathon, winning teams from each location will compete against each other to secure top positions. They will present their solutions to a panel of experts.

Three finalists per location will qualify for the final event during COP28 in Dubai, with the top three solutions receiving a prize from PepsiCo Foundation and incubation support from Plug and Play. The first-place prize is $30K, the second $20K, and the third $10K. Prizes are received in the form of grants spent in transforming the winning ideas into startups. Winners also receive one month of online incubation from Plug and Play.

The application deadline in Egypt is September 9. To apply, kindly click here.

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