A Vodafone Qatar and UDST hackathon challenged students to turn AI, 5G and smart systems into practical solutions for the future of Qatar’s digital infrastructure.
Ten student teams from the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) competed in the Infrastructure Intelligence Hackathon, developing prototype solutions for Qatar’s digital infrastructure challenges in smart energy, telecommunications, and AI-driven systems.
Organised in partnership with Vodafone Qatar, the competition challenged students to move beyond theory and build practical solutions addressing the future needs of Qatar’s digital landscape — from smart energy networks and 5G-enabled infrastructure to IoT, edge computing, and critical infrastructure monitoring.
A total of QAR 15,000 in prizes was awarded across five categories. Rashid Al-Kaabi, Hamad Al-Kuwari, and Ahmad Zaineldin claimed first place, with Michael Joshua Tendero and Jose Luis Alfonso Sandoval finishing second, and Mohamed Almejresi, Rayen Cherif, and Mohamed Al Baisoumy placing third. The Best Innovation Award went to Seyedeh Hassan, Hafsaa Chohan, and Fadi Mohamed, while Lama Alafaleq and Hiba Sulanki received the Best Industry Relevance Award.
Projects were judged on technical depth, AI integration, telecommunications relevance, practical impact, and clarity of presentation, with Vodafone Qatar engineers and UDST faculty mentoring teams throughout.
“The hackathon provided a valuable platform for students to apply their skills to practical challenges, and the quality of the solutions presented highlights the strong potential of local talent to contribute to Qatar’s ongoing digital transformation,” said Abdulhadi Al-Sahli, Head of Media Relations and CSR at Vodafone Qatar.
Dr. Ali Lari, Assistant Professor in UDST’s College of Engineering and Technology, said the event strengthened students’ critical thinking and cross-disciplinary collaboration — core pillars of the university’s applied education approach.
The hackathon underscores the expanding role of industry-academic partnerships in equipping the next generation for Qatar’s digital transformation, as AI, telecom, smart energy, and connected city technologies converge.
