The challenge featured strong participation from university students across the Kingdom, reflecting a growing interest in digital innovation. A total of 17 teams took part, each team consisting between three to five students. Participants demonstrated impressive creativity and analytical thinking, highlighting the ability of the youth in Bahrain to work with advanced technologies and keep pace with rapid advancements in AI and cloud computing.
On this occasion, iGA’s Chief Executive, Mohammed Ali Al Qaed commented: “The AI GameDay Challenge is a leading national platform for developing students’ skills in innovation and problem solving through the adoption of AI and cloud technologies. The initiative embodies the Kingdom senior leadership’s vision to empower the national youth in technology, and to actively contribute in building the ‘digital future’ and leading innovation. It also reflects the directives of His Excellency Gen. Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communication Technology (MCICT), to empowering young Bahrainis with valuable skills to prepare them for the future digital landscape and empower them to contribute to the Kingdom’s digital transformation.”
Al Qaed also highlighted that the initiative falls within a broader national vision to invest in the development of young minds. It complements a digital transformation journey that began with the launch of the first eGovernment strategy in 2007, along with the National Digital Economy Strategy in 2023, which focused on the adoption of innovative and advanced technologies. “The government is committed to deploying AI technologies through the formation of a specialized committee to research and study the priorities of AI adoption areas. This resulted in the development of the Guiding Manual on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Use in the GCC, which was endorsed across the region, as well as the establishment of the Innovation and Advanced Technologies Directorate within the iGA”, Al Qaed added.
iGA CE emphasized that building national capabilities and developing technical skills is a fundamental pillar in supporting the Kingdom's readiness for the next growth phase. He highlighted key national programs such as the Technical Development Program, which has resulted in 114 participants securing jobs in the public and private sectors, the AI Talent Program, and AI GameDay.
The competition helped students enhance their practical skills and apply their creative abilities to deliver innovative solutions aligned with government priorities in building Bahrain’s ICT capabilities. Al Qaed noted that the high competitiveness and innovation shown by the participants reflects the ambition and determination of Bahrain’s youth and their readiness to adopt the latest technologies and apply them towards impactful solutions.
He concluded by congratulating all the winning teams and participants, adding that the initiative provides a motivating practical environment that turns knowledge into real applications and helps shape a generation capable of confidently leading Bahrain into the digital age while supporting innovation and national transformation.
For his part, Major General Al Hassan affirmed that the Academy's hosting of the challenge is in line with Bahrain’s senior leadership's approach to empowering Bahraini youth and developing their capabilities in innovation and technology. The Academy prioritizes social responsibility by providing a supportive educational and training environment for national initiatives and equipping students with future-ready skills: “The Academy looks forward to expanding its partnership with the iGA to support broader innovation and digital transformation efforts, with the cooperation of other relevant national and international entities. This will enhance the quality of programs on offer and cultivate a generation capable of innovating and playing an important role in shaping the future”.
stc Bahrain Chief Government Affairs Officer, Shaikh Zeyad bin Faisal Al Khalifa expressed his appreciation of the AI Challenge: “Empowering young Bahrainis with the skills needed to work with advanced technologies is a core part of stc Bahain’s commitment to the community. Stc Bahrain’s participation reflects its role in developing national talent and equipping students with knowledge and skills in AI and cloud computing, helping to foster innovation and expand opportunities for professional growth.”
He added that the success of the competition demonstrates a strong sense of collaboration between the iGA, RAP, and partners such as stc Bahrain, reflecting a unified effort to advance the Kingdom’s digital landscape. He concluded by thanking the organizers and participants for their outstanding efforts, reaffirming stc Bahrain’s continued support for initiatives that help prepare a new generation capable of shaping Bahrain’s future.
The winning teams were awarded cash prizes supported by stc Bahrain: BD1,500 for the first place ( M&M's Team), BD1,000 for the second- place (Cloud Unicorns Team) place, and BD500 for the third place (Tech Team). Teams placing fourth through eighth place received the opportunity to enroll in specialized training courses offered through the UNDP’s Arab Knowledge Project with the aim to encourage the development of participants’ practical skills and enhance their ability to innovate in line with labor market needs and emerging ICT trends.
The competition included a series of virtual training sessions held two days prior to the challenge to raise students’ technical readiness and help them confidently tackle the tasks ahead. Led by expert trainers, the sessions provided students with the preparation they needed to create innovative solutions during the competition. The challenge consisted of three main stages, each designed to give students hands-on experience in using AI to create practical solutions.
The first stage, Mystery Code, required students to create an interactive application that transforms any sentence or description entered by a user into generated text and images within seconds. This helped them see the immediate creative potential of AI and strengthened their ability to design engaging and user-friendly digital experiences.
The second, Unicorn Voice, introduced students to techniques for analyzing long calls and automatically extracting key information without listening to lengthy recordings. This enhanced their understanding of AI’s role in improving service quality and helping organizations deploy their data with greater speed and accuracy.
The third stage, Unicare, focused on the healthcare information sector. Students analyzed complex medical data in smart and efficient ways to make information easier to access quickly and accurately. This gave them practical experience in building solutions that enhance medical workflows and support data-driven decision making.
The three stages offered students a comprehensive practical experience that enabled them to address real needs, strengthened their technical and analytical skills, and prepared them to play an active role in Bahrain’s national digital transformation.
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