Sharjah Tourism Innovation Hackathon at AUS reimagines travel and tourism experience

The hackathon is jointly organized by SCTDA and AUS 

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) officially launched the Sharjah Tourism Innovation Hackathon 2025, hosted and co-organized with the American University of Sharjah’s (AUS) Department of Computer Science and Engineering, on November 1–2, 2025 in the AUS Main Building, and was attended by H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA; Dr. Tod A. Laursen, Chancellor of AUS; Dr. Matthias Ruth, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost at AUS; Dr. Salah Brahimi, Vice Chancellor for External Relations at AUS; and Dr. Fadi Aloul, Dean of the AUS College of Engineering.

Held as part of the Sharjah International Travel and Tourism Forum (SITTF) 2025, the competition attracted applications from 500 undergraduate students across 29 universities across the UAE and shortlisted 80 students from 11 universities to develop practical, sector-ready tourism solutions.

Over the course of two days, cross-disciplinary teams tackled briefs on smart, sustainable tourism, moving from problem definition to deployable outputs such as working prototypes, application and interface designs, data-driven insights, short video pitches and concise concept decks.

A mixed panel from academia and industry evaluated final submissions for clarity of the problem, relevance to Sharjah and the theme, practicality and scalability, potential value creation, innovative use of technology and overall quality of presentation.

In his opening remarks, H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, emphasized the importance of innovation in driving the growth of Sharjah’s tourism sector. He stated: “This hackathon is a platform to shape the future of tourism, to create solutions that can benefit our community. It is an opportunity for exchanging ideas, fostering partnerships and developing practical solutions that align with Sharjah’s vision for sustainable tourism. Together, we can build a tourism ecosystem that is AI-driven, innovative and sustainable—one that reflects Sharjah’s rich cultural heritage and forward-looking aspirations.”

“This hackathon showed how quickly talented undergraduates can apply skills they learned in artificial intelligence, machine learning, web development and blockchain technologies to move from insight to implementation when they work on industry needs,” said Dr. Imran Zualkernan, Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at AUS. “Tourism sits at the intersection of data, design, and human experience; seeing students merge these dimensions into innovative working prototypes that stakeholders can actually use is exactly the kind of learning we champion at AUS.”

“Embedding the hackathon within SITTF connects student innovation directly to Sharjah’s strategic tourism priorities,” said Dr. Salah Brahimi, Vice Chancellor for External Relations at AUS. “We value SCTDA’s leadership and collaboration; together with our mentors and judges, we created a pathway for student ideas to reach decision-makers and deliver tangible value for visitors, businesses and communities.”

At the close of judging, the first two places in the Hackathon were claimed by AUS teams.

First place went to team Hayyakum, comprising Mahmoud Darwish, Amr Mohi Aldeen, Mohamad Dabbagh and Afif Zughayer, for “Sharjah Quest,” a gamified tourism application through which visitors collect digital stamps, unlock mascots and follow curated itineraries that guide them to local sites and businesses. The team earned AED 20,000 and will present their solution at SITTF 2025.

“We are proud to have won first place for Sharjah Quest, our augmented reality-powered mobile adventure that turns the city into an interactive game. With a digital passport, heritage mascots and citywide challenges, visitors complete quests, earn stamps and badges and climb leaderboards across museums, souqs, heritage houses, natural sites and local small and medium-sized enterprises. Real-time guidance spreads footfall, increases dwell time and supports neighborhood businesses, which advances UAE Vision 2031 and keeps culture central to inclusive, sustainable tourism. As students building for our city, we wanted every stop to be a story and every visit to create value,” said Darwish.

Second place was awarded to team Nomad, comprising Rana Gharaibeh, Halla Daas, Osama Ali and Moustafa Mughrabi, for a coral reef health monitoring system that uses underwater vibrations to help Sharjah protect and showcase its marine life, positioning the emirate as a destination recognized for its vibrant beaches and oceans, with an AED 15,000 prize.

Third place went to team trail/s from Ajman University, including Jon Zaccary Regala, Nouran Talal, Samia Bayoumi and Maryam Al Shanqiti, who built a unified accessibility platform connecting tourism, law and biomedical innovation to support every traveler, regardless of ability. The platform recommends accessible places to visit, acts as a virtual tour guide and integrates biomedical assistive gadgets to ensure people of determination can explore the UAE with confidence and comfort, taking home AED 10,000.

The hackathon highlighted SCTDA’s commitment to empowering youth and nurturing a culture of innovation. By engaging participants in addressing real-world challenges, the event underscored the authority’s dedication to advancing Sharjah’s position as a forward-thinking tourism hub.

Participants had the opportunity to collaborate with mentors and industry experts, leveraging emerging technologies and innovative approaches to tackle pressing issues in the tourism sector. The event also provided a platform for networking, knowledge exchange and showcasing ideas that could have a meaningful impact on Sharjah’s tourism landscape.