Thousands of software developers as well as computer and information-technology enthusiasts from more than 100 countries have taken part in a huge hackathon in Saudi Arabia.
The Hajj Hackathon in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, ran from 31 July-3 August and featured a successful record attempt by the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (Saudi Arabia) for Most participants in a hackathon with 2,950 people taking part.
The three-day gathering was held to propose new ways to adapt technology to make the Hajj a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for all who come to practice it.
The Hajj season is the greater Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, which takes place in the last month of the Islamic year. All Muslims are expected to make this journey at least once during their lifetime if they can afford to do so and it is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Advisor at the Royal Court and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, Saud Bin Abdullah Al-Qahtani said: ''The Kingdom's entry into Guinness World Records through the Hajj Hackathon confirms the aspirations of the Saudi youth for their country to be the gateway to technology in the region, pointing out that this is in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030, as an ambitious vision that takes the Kingdom to a quantum leap in all aspects of life.”
The event’s highlight was a competition that includes different sectors in relation to the Hajj season such as food and beverages public health, financial solutions, transportation, crowd management, traffic control, travel and accommodation, waste management and communication solutions.
The Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones set different prizes for the top three winners.
The Hajj hackathon event in Saudi Arabia broke India's 2012 record for the most simultaneous participants in a hackathon, which had a total of 2,567 participants.
Some other things we think you might find interesting
We recently caught up with Alex Howard, an experienced business manager and software developer, to discover more about AAH Software Ltd. and what its like being part of the Norwich Research Park business community.
What does AAH Software Ltd do?
Let's start with some statistics.
According to a Mckinsey study, one year after the first Covid-19 spike, in Feb'21, nearly 13 - 17% of all outpatient visits continued to be through Telehealth. This is
AAH Software has received a Cyber Essentials UK government-backed accreditation demonstrating that it operates to robust IT security standards.
The company - which builds and hosts databases and remote research platforms for businesses and medical research organizations - has al