The Artificial Intelligence in Ophthalmology Hackathon, organized by King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in partnership with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), concluded today after three days of spirited competition at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Riyadh.

The closing ceremony was attended by Dr. Abdulaziz bin Ibrahim Al-Rajhi, CEO of King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, and Dr. Yasser bin Mohammed Al-Onaizan, CEO of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence at SDAIA, alongside a group of medical and technology officials, medical and engineering students, and physicians and optometrists from across the Kingdom.

Results and top finishers

The competition brought together 100 participants selected from 700 applicants, organized into 15 teams and mentored by 50 experts and advisors in AI and data science. Three standout teams delivered innovative technical solutions:

  1. First place: Team ClearSight
    • Prize: SAR 30,000
    • Solution: an AI-powered tool that analyzes retinal images to diagnose early-stage eye diseases with high accuracy.
  2. Second place: Team iFresh
    • Prize: SAR 20,000
    • Solution: a data-driven system to track and predict the progression of eye diseases using AI-based analytics.
  3. Third place: Team DeepROP
    • Prize: SAR 10,000
    • Solution: a deep-learning technology to detect retinal diseases in newborns.

Hackathon objectives

The hackathon focused on developing innovative tools to improve eye-care services, achieving several key goals:

  • Early detection of eye diseases using advanced image-analysis techniques.
  • Improving treatment plans by using AI to help doctors make more accurate decisions.
  • Strengthening collaboration between medicine and data science to develop leading solutions for eye specialists and the community.
  • Building national capacity in artificial intelligence and health data.

Why the event matters

Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi said the hackathon marks a pivotal step in investing in modern technologies to elevate medical services, stressing that the partnership between King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital and SDAIA reflects the Kingdom's vision of harnessing AI to serve the health sector.

Dr. Yasser Al-Onaizan added that "the hackathon is not merely a competitive event, but a platform for developing practical solutions that improve the quality of medical care and open new horizons for AI technologies in the Kingdom."