• Winners will be announced during COP28 in Dubai and receive seed funds worth $30,000, $20,000, and $10,000 respectively

Dubai, UAE – PepsiCo and the Arab Youth Center (AYC) have announced three teams from the UAE for the Arab Youth Hackathon final, following a three-day bootcamp hosted by PepsiCo, PepsiCo Foundation, Plug and Play and AYC. The regional entrepreneurship program aims to create smarter solutions for climate-related issues in agriculture, circular economy, water security, and renewable energy. 

The bootcamp took place at the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, where finalists received mentorship through curated workshops from industry and subject matter experts. The first day kicked off with sustainability activities and introductions to help set workshop objectives, followed by an ideation assignment to help identify the strongest ideas. Over the next two days, participants learned more about design thinking, evolving an idea into a viable product, and green communications, complete with mentor-led working sessions. This extensive training culminated in a final pitch to a judging panel of five experts across the innovation, sustainability, and business development spectrum to hone in on the top three winners from the UAE. The entries were evaluated based on their sustainability alignment, ability to reduce emissions, and the magnitude of impact on areas under the four pillars of the competition (Water, Agriculture, Climate and Circular Economy).

Esaal, SolAir, and Krabby are now set to compete against other regional challengers at COP28, as part of the Arab entrepreneurship program. Esaal, represented by a trio of founders from the United Arab Emirates University, includes Reem AlMussabeh, Alhasan Farajallah, and Anas Al-Tomili. Their idea revolves around a digital analytics platform, aiming to revolutionize business decision-making. Esaal eliminates paper receipts and transforms them into smart digital receipts, offering actionable insights.

SolAir, led by founders Keegan Cobb and Azzan Farooq, both from the American University of Sharjah, boasts an innovative concept. They have developed an autonomous device that utilizes pressurized air to linearly clean solar panels, all without the need for water. This innovation aims to maintain solar panels at their maximum efficiency, contributing to sustainable energy solutions.

Krabby, a team led by founders Harsh Garg, Sanober Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Anurag Kumar Jha from BITS Pilani, presents an autonomous coral restoration service. Employing artificial intelligence, Krabby identifies healthy coral fragments and transplants them to suitable locations, contributing to coral reef preservation.

Aamer Sheikh, CEO – Middle East at PepsiCo said, “Through the Arab Youth Hackathon, we are advancing COP28’s goal to promote youth engagement in climate action. There is incredible innovative potential in the region, and we believe we have a role to play in creating an environment for young people’s collective action and innovation to be supported and accelerated. We’re inspired to see the caliber of young climate challengers in the region and look forward to working closely with our partners to support entrepreneurs at all business stages.”

Mr. Sadeq Jarrar, Executive Director - Arab Youth Center said, “The Arab Youth Hackathon is a vital initiative to engage young people and capture their visions. It also harnesses the creativity and potential of promising talent in our region. Through this initiative, we are working to empower young people to find effective solutions to pressing climate challenges.” He added. “Youth’s valuable participation in the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties (COP28) is an affirmation of the will of Arab youth to lead a meaningful transformation towards a sustainable future, and we look forward to seeing their creative imprint on the global stage.”

Jordan Bray, Country Director UAE, Plug and Play said, “We are genuinely excited by the outstanding ideas showcased by the UAE's young innovators during the Arab Youth Hackathon. Fostering regional talent is at the core of Plug and Play's mission, and we believe in these young innovators' potential to create a more sustainable future. Congratulations to the three UAE finalists, and we eagerly anticipate their contributions to the global dialogue at COP28. We have full confidence that their innovative solutions will drive meaningful and lasting change on an international scale.”

Finalists from Egypt were announced last week, with Jordan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia expected to follow in the coming weeks. The finals of the competition, featuring 15 of the most promising solutions from the five countries, will be happening in the Youth Hub taking place on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai. The three best innovators will receive an equity-free seed fund from the PepsiCo Foundation to launch their businesses, worth $30,000 for the winner, $20,000 for the runner-up, and $10,000 for the second runner-up. In addition, they will participate in a one-month incubation program that will help them develop and scale their groundbreaking ideas and ensure long-term success.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

About Arab Youth Center (AYC)

Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Arab Youth Center, AYC strives to empower young Arabs across the Arab World and address their needs in many disciplines, including education, culture, technology, sustainability and more. Harnessing the power of a growing youth population, AYC focuses on implementing initiatives to help equip and build thoughtful leaders for the future.

The centre offers a unique platform to develop youth capabilities and support innovation and creativity among youth. With the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the AYC implements purposeful initiatives across diverse sectors, empowering Arab Youth by cooperating with Arab governments and other influential entities. AYC specialises in organising events, research and development and impactful projects and initiatives.

For more information, visit www.arabyouthcenter.org.

About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we're present in 50+ locations across five continents. We offer corporate innovation programs and help our corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where we've invested in hundreds of successful companies including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/.

About Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park

Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park is the fastest growing innovation park in the region.  Established in 2016, SRTIP is focused on promoting research, technology, and innovation in various fields, including healthcare, energy, environment, and technology. The institution aims to create a collaborative platform for academic institutions, businesses, and government agencies to work together to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. SRTIP provides a range of facilities and services to its members, including cutting-edge laboratories, research and development facilities, training programs, and funding opportunities. The institution's goal is to create a knowledge-based economy in the region by promoting research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. SRTIP is committed to supporting the UAE's vision of becoming a global leader in science and technology.