JEDDAH: Budding Saudi designers will showcase the Kingdom’s culture throughout the travel and tourism industry as part of a new scheme launched on Monday.
The Saudia Design Program was launched by Saudia, the Kingdom’s flag carrier, and research-based consultancy Adhlal.
The program aims to create new opportunities for the Saudi design community and nurture the talent of the next generation of designers by providing creative solutions to industry challenges.
The Adhlal Majlis, which was hosted by Shada hotel, hosted a forum for discussion among designers, who gathered and shared knowledge.
Discussing the role of Adhlal, founder and CEO Princess Nourah Al-Faisal told Arab News: “The main target benefiting from Adhlal initiatives within the Kingdom is the young generation, university students, graduate students and startups.
“Adhlal helps designers in any step of the design process and within any of its fields, such as jewelry design, decoration, graphics and many others.”
She added that Adhlal aims to equip future generations of Saudi designers with the tools they need to succeed, building on the ambitions of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Committed to delivering the best to designers, manufacturers, government and professional bodies, Adhlal teamed up with Saudia for the project.
Princess Nourah said: “The main reason behind this particular series of majlis is to co-create with local design community and Saudia.
“The new Saudia Design Program is an annual award which will help co-create and support the development of the ecosystem as well as provide a platform for Saudi designers to come up with their creative designs for Saudia products.”
After presenting the objectives and guidelines of the program to designers, Jeroen Frumau, design program director and expert consultant at Adhlal, told Arab News: “Adhlal is partnering with Saudia to create for the Saudi design community and since Saudia committed to be the ambassador of the Saudi design community and the Saudi design industry, we are helping them to create a program where they can take ownership in that role.”
He added that the Saudia Design Program will bridge the gap between designers, the industry and the Jeddah design community.
Addressing the audience and highlighting the importance of design and its contribution to the future of the Kingdom, Khaled Tash, Saudia Group chief marketing officer, said: “The Saudia design program in partnership with Adhlal reflects our strong commitment to enriching the guest travel experience and proudly showcasing our Saudi culture, and we aim to establish a sustainable and impactful partnership with the design community.”
Tash said that the program was in line with Vision 2030, which focuses on economic growth, creativity and innovation, adding: “Design can be an economic driver, job creation engine, and it also can take a business for organizations from one scale to another.”
He said: “Designers, we at Saudia are in need of your creative ideas to make our flight experience to our customers better, faster, easier, more enriching and most importantly, reflecting the Saudi identity, culture and heritage.”
Designers to showcase Kingdom’s culture through Adhlal, Saudia program
https://arab.news/bfku7
Designers to showcase Kingdom’s culture through Adhlal, Saudia program
- The program aims to create new opportunities for the Saudi design community and nurture the talent of the next generation of designers
- The Adhlal Majlis, which was hosted by Shada hotel, hosted a forum for discussion among designers, who gathered and shared knowledge
Absher Hackathon finalists highlight scale of Saudi tech talent
- World’s largest hackathon underscores growing national enthusiasm for tech innovation
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s push to position itself as a global hub for digital innovation was on display this weekend as the Absher Tuwaiq Hackathon 2025 — billed as the world’s largest hackathon — concluded with the announcement of finalist teams competing for prizes totaling SR1 million ($266,000).
The three-day hackathon, organized by the Ministry of Interior in partnership with Tuwaiq Academy, brought together innovators from across the Kingdom to develop digital solutions aligned with the ministry’s digital transformation goals.
The finalist teams recognized for their projects were: Shadow, Wusool, Watheeq , Tanabbah, HRS, Ikhlaa, Amal, Mustabiq, Al‑Dahna, Inspire, Saqour Al‑Watan, Thaqib, Sawt Al‑Mustaqbal, Manee, and YS Advance International.
In addition to cash prizes, the competition offered SR450,000 in support from the National Technology Development Program, along with incubation opportunities at Invi Lab to help teams turn prototypes into market-ready products.
Tariq Al‑Hamid, official spokesperson for the Absher Conference, told Arab News that the hackathon has generated strong momentum nationwide.
This year’s event included more than 4,000 participants from all regions of the Kingdom — “a reflection of the growing national enthusiasm for digital innovation,” he said.
HIGHLIGHT
The Absher Tuwaiq Hackathon brought together innovators from across the Kingdom to develop digital solutions aligned with the ministry’s digital transformation goals.
According to Al‑Hamid, the 2025 event was structured around four specialized tracks: digital identity and security applications; artificial intelligence for predictive and proactive security; Internet of Things applications supporting field operations; and innovations to enhance or expand services on the Absher Platform.
He added that this focused approach allowed participants “to present high‑quality ideas and advanced prototypes at levels comparable to international competitions.”
Participants also took part in more than 80 training programs delivered by global partners including Google Cloud, Meta, NVIDIA, and Huawei, an experience Al-Hamid said significantly strengthened both the competition and participants’ skills.
Al-Hamid said that the hackathon’s impact extends beyond prize money. “More important than the cash reward is the opportunity to turn creative ideas into real products that make an impact on citizens, residents, and visitors.”
Standout participants often attract the attention of leading national technology companies seeking new talent, he added.
Participation was open to individuals and teams from across Saudi Arabia, from high school students to industry professionals, highlighting the inclusivity of the event and the breadth of the Kingdom’s innovation ecosystem.
The hackathon forms part of the wider Absher Tuwaiq initiative, a core pillar of the upcoming Absher Conference 2025, which will empower more than 100,000 participants across seven technical tracks in 16 cities, in partnership with 20 local and international organizations.
The conference, organized by the Ministry of Interior and Tuwaiq Academy, sponsored by Elm Company and held in strategic partnership with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, will take place in Riyadh from Dec. 17 -19.
The event will showcase national digital innovations and reinforce Saudi Arabia’s role in global technology.
