Arab Youth Center and PepsiCo have launched a regional hackathon to find solutions to climate change in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Arab Youth Hackathon is open to university students and early-stage entrepreneurs who are passionate about creating a more sustainable future.
The hackathon will focus on four key areas: water security, agriculture, circular economy, and renewable energy and efficiency. Participants will have the opportunity to develop innovative solutions that address these challenges and have a positive impact on the environment.
The winning teams will receive an equity-free seed fund from the PepsiCo Foundation to launch their businesses, as well as a five-month incubation program to help them develop and scale their ideas.
“Young people are uniquely motivated to contribute to solutions to climate-related issues,” said Eugene Willemsen, CEO of PepsiCo Africa, Middle East and South Asia. “They also have the power to influence behavior in their communities and urge policymakers to tackle environmental challenges.”
“The Arab Youth Hackathon harnesses the power of collaboration to channel this potential in tangible and measurable ways,” Willemsen added.
Mohamed Shelbaya, CEO of PepsiCo North Africa, said: “We are brimming with pride as the initiative expands to foster more innovative minds from the wider region as part of the Arab Youth Hackathon.”
Sadeq Jarrar, Executive Director of Arab Youth Center, said: “We are thrilled to begin accepting applications for the Arab Youth Hackathon in anticipation of COP28. We heavily prioritize and promote climate action at the Arab Youth Center, and always strive to formulate impactful initiatives to engage Arab youth in thinking about the future of our world.”
“As a means to highlight Arab youth sustainable ingenuity across the MENA region, we look forward to seeing the results of the Hackathon and the solutions our applicants propose,” Jarrar continued.
Private sector initiatives, especially those involving youth, play a key role in supporting COP28’s outlined sustainability goals. The Hackathon will be supported by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) along with PepsiCo and the Arab Youth Center. Plug and Play, known for accelerating innovation across a wide network of accelerators, industry-leading corporations, and venture capitalists globally, will also lend its expertise to help bring the program to life in MENA.
Karima El Hakim, Plug and Play Egypt Country Director said, “As one of the most active global investors in sustainability, we hope to continue to support young Arab and Egyptian innovators to play an active role in bringing sustainable solutions to climate challenges. I look forward to working with our partners and stakeholders in Egypt and the region to source innovative solutions be it at an ideation or MVP stage.”
