NEOM AI Challenge

NEOM AI Challenge is one of the initiatives of the Global AI Summit, launched by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in partnership with "NEOM" during the first edition of the Global AI Summit in 2020 . It aims to find solutions to NEOM City's challenges using AI technologies.

The NEOM AI Challenge consists of three tracks: AI in decision-making, AI adaptive inspection, and AI in machine-executable legislation to speed up procedures and keep pace with rapid local developments.

NEOM AI Challenge was launched during the first edition of the Global AI Summit in 2020, aiming to find pioneering and innovative solutions to future challenges the world faces through the innovations of Saudi male and female university students based on AI. Four hundred male and female students from various university levels participated in the challenge, representing thirty-nine Saudi universities. They presented innovative projects to create a sustainable environment in three vital fields representing the challenge's tracks: energy, entertainment, and transportation.

The second edition of NEOM AI Challenge was launched in 2022, aiming to support innovators and entrepreneurs, build national and international capacities in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from around the world, and propel them to new horizons in the world of innovation.

To participate in NEOM AI Challenge, registration is required as an SME or as entrepreneurs. Small companies must have six to forty-nine full-time employees, with revenues ranging from SAR3 million to SAR40 million annually. Medium-sized companies must have a team of fifty to 249 full-time employees, with revenues ranging from SAR40 million to SAR200 million annually. For entrepreneurs, each team must consist of two to five members.

The evaluation criteria for NEOM AI Challenge encompass a range of factors, including innovation and creativity, grounding in scientific and technological concepts, usability, and development potential. Projects are assessed based on their reliance on AI solutions and their direct impact on NEOM. Additionally, consideration is given to the feasibility of developing a minimum viable product, as well as the reasonableness and feasibility of the idea's cost within an appropriate timeframe.

Winners of NEOM AI Challenge receive implementation contracts with "NEOM", worth SAR500,000 for each winner in the three tracks, totaling SAR1.5 million.

NEOM AI Challenge is part of SDAIA's efforts to unlock the latent value of data as national wealth, contributing to achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and reaching global leadership in the fields of data and AI. It also plays a role in raising awareness of AI, enhancing and encouraging continuous innovation in the field of AI, and building national capacities in innovations.