Riyadh – May 15, 2025, corresponding to 17 Dhu al-Qadah 1446 AH — In a step reflecting a serious drive to accelerate digital transformation and adopt modern technologies, Ismail bin Saeed Al-Ghamdi, Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Social Development for Shared Services, announced the launch of the second edition of the "Innovation Hackathon for Change Towards the Better," during the Digital Transformation Forum held in the Eastern Province under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Emir of the Eastern Province.

The hackathon is one of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development's leading initiatives, aiming to inspire young national talent to develop innovative technical solutions to real challenges in labor and social development, contributing to institutional excellence and an improved beneficiary experience.

Al-Ghamdi explained that the initiative comes as part of the Ministry's digital transformation strategy, which seeks to adopt the latest technologies, foremost among them artificial intelligence, in order to:

  • Raise the quality of services
  • Improve the efficiency of operations
  • Reduce operational costs
  • Enhance overall government efficiency

He also affirmed that the Ministry has already begun integrating artificial intelligence technologies into its various operations, maximizing the benefits of modern technology in serving the community and advancing human development.

Hackathon Stages

  • Phase One: Receiving and evaluating ideas by a specialized committee to select the most applicable innovations.
  • Phase Two: Holding development workshops to refine the technical proposals of qualifying teams.
  • Phase Three: Presenting final initiatives before a judging panel and selecting the best three digital innovations.

Participation is open through the hackathon's official platform, hackathon.hrsd.gov.sa, with submissions accepted until June 21, 2025.

The launch of the hackathon's second edition, timed to coincide with the Digital Transformation Forum, underscores the Ministry's drive to build an environment that fosters technical creativity and provide real opportunities for national talent to contribute to Saudi Vision 2030's goals in innovation and entrepreneurship.