Regional Telcos Come Together To Launch The GCC’s First Sustainability Hackathon
The event is designed to surface practical green technology solutions and reimagine how telecom networks are powered, maintained, and scaled.
The GCC’s leading telecom operators are uniting to launch the region’s first Sustainability Hackathon, calling on innovators to develop solutions that cut energy use, manage e-waste, and scale renewables. The event is designed to surface practical green technology solutions and reimagine how telecom networks are powered, maintained, and scaled.
The initiative is being driven by the GCC Sustainability Innovation Hub, a seven-member alliance formed after the 28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in 2023 by UAE telcos e& and du, Bahrain-based digital communications and information, communication and technology (ICT) solutions provider Beyon, Qatar-based telecom company Ooredoo, Oman Telecommunications Company Omantel, Saudi Telecom Company stc Group, and Kuwait-based mobile telecommunications company Zain.
Covering 39 subsidiaries in 33 countries, the Hub has focused on setting common green procurement standards and accelerating renewable energy adoption, with the Sustainability Hackathon marking its latest step in building a unified net-zero framework for the region. The hackathon is thus inviting innovators, startups, and solution providers to compete across three tracks: using artificial intelligence (AI) to cut network power consumption, managing e-waste by turning discarded hardware into valuable resources, and advancing renewable energy for towers and data centers.
In a statement, Mohamed H Almarzooqi, Senior Vice President - Access Network, e& international, said, “By uniting the GCC’s strongest networks and brightest talent, we can turn prototypes into region-wide change in months, not years. The ideas born here could be the catalyst to rethink how telecom networks are built and powered, helping us cut costs, slash emissions, and set new benchmarks for sustainable connectivity—making the UAE’s and the region’s net-zero ambitions a reality, faster.”
Andrew Dunnett, Group Senior Vice President of Sustainability, e&, added, “Meeting net-zero targets cannot be about incremental change; it’s all about accelerating the best ideas to full-scale adoption. And this Sustainability Hackathon brings our industry together to do exactly that. It gives innovators a platform to deliver solutions that pull innovation through procurement, standardise what ‘good’ looks like, and give startups a pathway from pilot to portfolio, proving that sustainable networks are a performance advantage, not a trade-off.”
Winners of the hackathon will be selected based on the environmental impact of their ideas. Registration is open until September 1 through an online platform, with submissions set to be reviewed between September 2 and 16, and finalists presenting their solutions live in Riyadh from September 14 to 16. Winners will be announced on September 17.
