RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has set a new Guinness World Record after hosting the world’s largest digital solutions hackathon, bringing together 2,059 participants in a landmark event aimed at accelerating innovation in security and digital technologies.

The record was achieved during the Absher Tuwaiq Hackathon, organized by the Ministry of Interior in partnership with Tuwaiq Academy. The achievement underscores the Kingdom’s growing leadership in digital transformation and its commitment to nurturing national talent in line with Vision 2030.

The three-day event, which showcased digital transformation initiatives and emerging technologies, was officially opened by Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, Minister of Interior. The opening also featured a ceremony recognizing the winning teams of the Absher Tuwaiq Hackathon, held from Dec. 11 to 13.

The competition, officially confirmed by Guinness World Records to be the “largest digital solutions hackathon,” featured more than 4,100 participants who worked on more than 2,000 projects with the aim of developing creative solutions to real-world challenges.

“The Shadow” team were awarded first place and the SR 250,000 ($66,600) prize that came with it. Team “Ikhlaa” (Evacuation) took second place (SR 150,000), followed by “Tanbah” (Alert) in third (SR 100,000).

Additional recognition went to team HRS, Wathiq and Wusool, whose promising project concepts were rewarded with SR 450,000 of funding from the National Technology Development Program.

In a speech to the event, Prince Bandar bin Abdullah, the assistant minister of interior for technical affairs, highlighted the ways in which Absher continues to shape digital governance in the Kingdom. He said the platform has become a model for how government services can evolve to seamlessly serve citizens, residents and visitors.

The ministry also unveiled its latest lineup of digital initiatives, ranging from AI-powered services to advanced, data-driven systems. They include a new Absher Assistant to help users navigate and complete tasks intuitively, and a Midan Al-Shamel platform to unify field operations and enhance safety.

It highlighted a number of other initiatives, including Secure Communications, Talk with Your Data, and a Central Reports Database, that it said will help underscore the Kingdom’s growing position as a digital leader in the field of public service.

In addition, the ministry signed a landmark cooperation agreement with Humain, the Saudi state-backed artificial intelligence company launched in May 2025.

Technology education is a major theme of the conference this year, led by the participation of Tuwaiq Academy, the national center for advanced technology training and talent development.

The academy’s CEO, Abdulaziz Al-Hammadi, told Arab News that Saudi Arabia is entering a period of tremendous growth in terms of major technology projects.

“Tuwaiq Academy’s mission is to prepare the local talent that will lead these initiatives in key fields such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity and drones,” he said.

The academy offers all of its training programs free of charge to young Saudis, in particular university and high-school graduates, he added, reflecting the national commitment to accessible, future-focused education.

More than 35,000 students have graduated from Tuwaiq Academy in various subjects since its launch in August 2019.

“Over 80 percent of graduates from the academy’s boot camps are employed within three months, a testament to the growing demand for technical skills in the Saudi labor market,” Al-Hammadi said.

The conference, which includes more than 60 keynote sessions, 80 workshops and 150 speakers from the public and private sectors, continues until Friday.