Minister of Energy Recognizes Winners of Inaugural Energy Hackathon at WPC Energy Congress

   Riyadh, October 13, 2026, SPA -- Minister of Energy and Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz recognized today the winners of the inaugural Energy Hackathon at a closing ceremony organized by the Ministry of Energy under his patronage.
   The ceremony was held during the 25th WPC Energy Congress, which Saudi Arabia is hosting through October 15 as part of Energy Week in Riyadh.
   Six teams received awards after placing first and second across three tracks: Operational Efficiency, Transformative Innovation and Intelligent Control.
   The inaugural hackathon drew more than 6,700 participants from over 40 cities across Saudi Arabia, forming more than 1,200 teams. More than 35 teams, comprising over 145 innovators, advanced to the hackathon bootcamp.
   The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), the hackathon’s host partner, hosted the bootcamp from October 7 to 9. Teams developed their solutions through daily mentoring sessions with energy-sector specialists, specialized workshops and two panel discussions on the future of energy and entrepreneurship in the sector.
   The bootcamp concluded with judging rounds in which teams presented their solutions to specialized panels, with six teams selected to advance to the closing ceremony.
   The winning teams will now enter an intensive four-week venture development program aimed at preparing their projects for business incubators and accelerators and helping move their solutions from concept to implementation.
   The hackathon forms part of the Ministry of Energy’s efforts to foster a culture of innovation and empower national talent to develop solutions to challenges facing the energy sector, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
   -- SPA