South Al Batinah Design Hackathon kicks off
Al Rustaq: The South Al Batinah Design Hackathon, organised by the Governorate's Office in collaboration with the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Al Musannah, launched at the Office of Wali of Al Rustaq on Monday.
Held under the theme 'An Urban Design with the Identity of Place," the two-day event aims to design and develop an integrated tourism project for 'Khor Al Qareem" in the Wilayat of Al Musannah, combining the area's environmental and cultural identity with modern technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
The hackathon aligns with national approach in sustainable tourism and smart urban development, supporting the goals of Oman Vision 2040. Over 125 students from 25 educational institutions—both within the Sultanate of Oman and abroad—are participating in multidisciplinary teams specializing in urban planning, architecture, civil engineering, and interior design.
The program includes training workshops and consultative sessions supervised by experts to enhance participants' skills and refine their design ideas. On the final day, a judging panel will select six projects for evaluation based on criteria such as innovation, sustainability, environmental and cultural integration, space efficiency, and AI utilisation.
The top three winning teams will receive valuable prizes, with the first-place project being implemented in Khor Al Qareem. The rights to the three shortlisted projects will belong to the South Al Batinah Governorate, which reserves the right to execute or modify them for public benefit.
This hackathon serves as a platform to empower Omani youth, showcase their creative talents in design and urban planning, and engage them in developing sustainable urban and tourism environments that reflect community aspirations and cope with the national principles of the sustainable development.
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