PepsiCo and the Arab Youth Center have opened applications for young Arab innovators to apply for the Arab Youth Hackathon, a regional entrepreneurship program aimed at creating smarter solutions for climate-related issues in the areas of agriculture, circular economy, water security, and renewable energy and efficiency.
According to recent research, 65 percent of gen Z members in the MENA are concerned about the world, but a higher proportion — 66 percent are hopeful about the change they can deliver. Fifty percent are also actively striving to make a change through social, political or environmental means.
The hackathon will run in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon, and is seeking applicants, including university students and early-stage entrepreneurs who either are looking to ideate or have a preliminary existing idea at the testing phase, which will evolve during the hackathons. Candidates must apply in teams of two to three participants aged between 18 to 35 years of age, with at least one member older than 21 years.
Once the shortlist of teams has been selected, PepsiCo, PepsiCo Foundation, Plug and Play and AYC will host a three-day local hackathon, providing mentorship and curated workshops to transfer knowledge to the participants. In Saudi Arabia, the hackathon will take place at “The Garage” in Riyadh, from Nov. 3-5.
The proposed solutions will be assessed and selected based on its innovation; it should be financially feasible and scalable. A panel of experts will evaluate the entries based on their sustainability alignment, ability to reduce emissions, and the magnitude of impact on areas under the four pillars of the competition, such as climate change, energy, circular economy, deforestation, green transformation, soil fertility, waste management, water scarcity, and marine environment well-being.
The finals of the competition, featuring 15 of the most promising solutions from the five countries, will take place during December, in Dubai. The three best innovators will receive an equity-free seed fund from the PepsiCo Foundation to launch their businesses, worth $30,000 for the winner, $20,000 for the runner-up, and $10,000 for the second runner-up. In addition, they will participate in a five-month incubation program that will help them develop and scale their ideas and ensure long-term success.
Eugene Willemsen, CEO — Africa, Middle East and South Asia at PepsiCo, said, “This year, through tangible investment and collaborative action, PepsiCo is advancing COP28’s goal to promote youth engagement in climate action. We are committed to diversity in thought, perspective, and action to move the needle in ways we haven’t imagined before, and the Arab Youth Hackathon harnesses the power of collaboration to channel this potential in tangible and measurable ways.”
C.D. Glin, president, PepsiCo Foundation and global head of philanthropy, PepsiCo, added: “The Arab Youth Hackathon provides a platform for us to feed the potential and entrepreneurial spirit of the next generation of innovators across MENA as they develop home-grown solutions for our planet’s most pressing issues.”
Sadeq Jarrar, executive director — Arab Youth Center, said: “We are thrilled to begin accepting applications for the Arab Youth Hackathon in anticipation of COP28. We heavily prioritize and promote climate action at the Arab Youth Center, and always strive to formulate impactful initiatives to engage Arab youth in thinking about the future of our world.”
The hackathon will be supported by “The Garage,” as well as a range of universities including Prince Sultan University, King Abdul Aziz University, KAUST, King Faisal University, and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. They will work closely with PepsiCo and the Arab Youth Center to identify promising talent and guide them through the process.
Plug and Play, known for accelerating innovation across a wide network of accelerators, industry-leading corporations and venture capitalists globally, will also lend its expertise to help bring the program to life in the region.
The Arab Youth Hackathon is open for applications until Oct. 13 in Saudi Arabia. Interested participants can submit their entries at arabyouthhackathon.com.
