Gaza Sky Geeks, in collaboration with the STEAM Center, recently hosted the AI Olympics Hackathon, a premier technical competition designed to bridge Palestinian tech talent across fragmented geographies. The event brought together approximately 50 participants from five major universities across Gaza and the West Bank to showcase innovation in high-potential technology tracks. Beyond the local competition, the hackathon served as a critical qualifying round, sending the winning teams to represent Palestine in the upcoming Regional Olympiad in AI.
Solving Real-World Challenges Through AI
The hackathon provided a dedicated space for students and tech professionals to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical, real-world problems. Participants competed across five specialized tracks: Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Cybersecurity, Coding, and Embedded Systems. The intensity of the competition highlighted the resilience and collaborative spirit of the Palestinian tech community, emphasizing the role of artificial intelligence in driving local innovation despite systemic challenges.
AI Olympics Champions and Track Winners
The competition recognized top-tier performance at both the institutional and individual track levels.
Regional Champions:
- Gaza Olympiad Champion: Team University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS).
- West Bank Olympiad Champion: Team An-Najah National University (NNU).
Individual Track Winners:
- Machine Learning: Team Palestine Polytechnic University (PPU).
- Computer Vision: Team Birzeit University (BZU).
- Cybersecurity: Team University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS).
- Coding: Team Palestine Polytechnic University (PPU).
- Embedded Systems: Team Palestine Polytechnic University (PPU).
About Gaza Sky Geeks
Gaza Sky Geeks is Palestine’s leading tech hub, established in 2011 to provide developers, entrepreneurs, and freelancers with the resources needed to succeed in the global digital economy. By offering coding bootcamps, startup acceleration programs, and co-working spaces, the organization empowers Palestinian talent to overcome physical movement restrictions and secure high-value remote work or build scalable technology companies.
Source: Gaza Sky Geeks
