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Edition one
It already happened, in Al Qua'a.
A 36 hour community hackathon, June 2026.
Recap video courtesy of Al Ain Municipality
The first edition of Tatweer Hackathon ran for 36 hours, June 26 to 28, 2026, in Al Qua'a. A town of fourteen thousand people hosted more than 260 registrants and 76 verified submissions, competing for a 50,000 AED prize pool across five challenges built around one question: how does a small town claim its place in the digital world?
The venue was organised into four districts inspired by the traditional Freej, each with its own character, so the event felt less like a conference and more like a neighbourhood at work.
None of it happened alone. Abu Dhabi University stood as our academic partner, the backbone of judging and a source of participants. Athar+, an initiative by Ma'an, the Authority of Social Contribution, joined as our impact partner. UAE FPV brought the frontrunners of the drone world to a rural stage. The Maakum volunteering group carried the event on the ground, hour by hour. And Al Ain Municipality stood with the community throughout.
Our partners
Into incubation
Three projects stood out and moved into incubation. QAFD, a clinic kiosk with facial recognition and a bilingual voice assistant, built for the town's own health centre. Hisati and Study Buddy, each solving a problem their builders live with. They are the proof of the model: challenges from the community, solutions from the community, and a path that continues after the weekend ends.
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