Riyadh, 24 April 2025 (26 Shawwal 1446H)

"Chipathon," the first Saudi event of its kind dedicated to developing national skills in integrated circuit and electronic chip design, concluded today, jointly organized by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), with technical support from leading companies including Alat (a Public Investment Fund company), Siemens, and CDT Holding.

Toward a National Semiconductor Industry

"Chipathon" is a strategic launch aimed at:

  • Building a base of specialized national skills in chip design.
  • Closing the global gap in this highly specialized field.
  • Positioning the Kingdom as a regional hub for the semiconductor industry and technical innovation.

At a Glance

  • Applicants: more than 700 participants from 31 Saudi universities.
  • Qualified for training phase: 250 participants.
  • Final teams: 10 teams (30 participants).
  • Final hackathon duration: a full week of real-world technical challenges.

The Real Challenge

Teams faced a genuine technical challenge set by Alat: designing low-noise amplifiers (LNA) for Internet of Things (IoT) applications, developing innovative solutions to address:

  • Reducing noise and improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
  • Improving circuit performance in power consumption.
  • Size-reduction techniques and enhanced efficiency and flexibility.

Judging Panel and National Expertise

The judging panel included experts from:

  • KACST
  • KAUST
  • King Saud University
  • King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
  • Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University
  • Alat and CDT

Judging was based on the quality of engineering solutions, level of innovation, practical performance and presentation skills.

The Winner to Be Announced Soon

The winning team will be officially announced during the "Future of Semiconductors Forum," hosted by KAUST from 4 to 5 May 2025, marking a further step toward local technical self-sufficiency and developing the knowledge economy.