At a Glance

  • Location: Riyadh
  • Date: 22 Rabi' al-Thani 1447H, corresponding to October 14, 2025
  • Registration deadline: October 23, 2025
  • Partners: UC Berkeley, Humain, Academy32
  • Supervisor: Prof. Omar Yaghi, 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) announced today that registration is open for its "AI Hackathon for Materials Discovery," organized in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley, Humain, and Academy32, and supervised by Saudi scientist Professor Omar Yaghi, an advisor to KACST's president and winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Registration closes on October 23.

The hackathon aims to help participants build their skills in artificial intelligence and materials science, while strengthening their ties with universities and industrial companies to turn their ideas into working prototypes and practically applicable technologies — part of a broader push to position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for innovation in energy and advanced materials.

The event is aimed at university students, researchers and entrepreneurs from across the Kingdom's regions. It includes virtual training courses covering reticular chemistry, large language models and prompt engineering, before concluding in person at Academy32 with a showcase of participating projects.

The hackathon is built around two main tracks. The first focuses on large language models for advanced materials, using simulation tools and open data to discover new reticular materials for hydrogen storage, carbon dioxide capture and water harvesting. The second focuses on applying large language models to teaching reticular chemistry and developing bilingual educational applications.

The hackathon forms part of KACST's broader effort to strengthen the national research, development and innovation ecosystem, and to tackle climate and energy challenges by accelerating materials discovery by as much as 80 percent using artificial intelligence, while offering innovative solutions for hydrogen storage, carbon capture and water extraction.

Those wishing to take part can register via the following link: https://forms.academy32.sa/survey?sId=423h+Rsr16c=