42 Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital’s innovative and disruptive coding academy that provides a unique peer-to-peer, gamified learning methodology, hosted an AI Hackathon with over 80 students in collaboration with SambaNova Systems.The hackathon concluded with three winning projects that leveraged Agentic AI to create solutions tackling challenges across diverse sectors in the UAE, including healthcare, legal, transportation and other vital fields.
The first project introduces an AI-powered emergency response system designed to revolutionize emergency care by seamlessly connecting paramedics and hospitals. The second project is an intelligent legal assistant that leverages Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to analyze UAE legal documents, generate contracts, and check regulations, delivering precise, context-aware insights. The third project features an AI voice assistant that provides real-time updates on public transit services, including routes, stops, and connection times, using advanced agentic AI and geocoding APIs for accurate and timely information.
The hackathon was organized in collaboration with CloudingAI, a UAE-based AI integrator, and SambaNova Systems, a global leader in AI hardware and chip design and manufacturing. Based in Silicon Valley and competing with NVIDIA to revolutionize enterprise AI, SambaNova specializes in sovereign AI infrastructure, empowering governments and Fortune 500 companies with AI hardware that delivers superior speed to NVIDIA’s H100, greater power efficiency, and enhanced scalability, all while ensuring data privacy and security.
The innovative solutions developed during the hackathon promise to drive impactful change and showcase the potential of AI-driven technologies. The judging panel featured experts from Abu Dhabi Executive Office, ADNOC, SambaNova Systems, Clouding AI and BrandMoxie.
Dr Ahmed Al Shoaibi, Acting CEO of 42 Abu Dhabi, said: “This hackathon reflects our role in building a future-ready workforce that can actively contribute to Abu Dhabi’s leading role in AI and digital transformation on a global scale. At 42 Abu Dhabi, we remain committed to supporting Abu Dhabi’s Government Digital Strategy 2025-2027 by equipping students with the skills needed to lead the way in AI innovation.Our partners, who have been instrumental in providing mentorship, resources, and support, have played a key role in making this hackathon a success.”
Soufiane Chami, Principal AI SolutionsEngineerat SambaNova Systems, added: “At SambaNova, we are committed to democratizing AI access and empowering the next generation of innovators in the UAE. This hackathon not only showcased the power of SambaNova’s chips for fast AI training and inference but also highlighted the exceptional AI talent at 42 Abu Dhabi in developing real-world solutions. We are proud of our partnership with 42 Abu Dhabi to support talent in driving AI adoption and creating impactful solutions for the UAE using our cutting-edge supercomputing technology.”
The hackathon provided students with a platform to collaborate, think critically, and apply their knowledge to tackle real-world challenges. This aligns with 42 Abu Dhabi’s mission to foster a talent pipeline that not only supports the local digital economy but also positions Abu Dhabi as a leading force in global innovation.
