AL JABAL AL AKHDHAR: The Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group) has successfully concluded the inaugural edition of the OMRAN Hackathon, marking a significant milestone in advancing innovation and entrepreneurship within Oman’s tourism sector.
Organised in strategic partnership with the Oman Across Ages Museum, Al Dakhiliyah Governorate and several Oman Investment Authority entities and executed by Al Jabr Mena, the event showcased a collaborative approach to tackling key challenges in tourism and related industries like energy, logistics, environment and others.
The closing ceremony was held under the auspices of Halima bint Rashid al Zariyah, Chairperson of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), in the presence of Al Muatasim bin Said al Sariry, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of OMRAN Group, and Dr Hashil bin Obaid al Mahrouqi, CEO of the Group, at the Al Jabal Al Akhdhar's Naseem DusitD2 Resort.
The hackathon kicked-off with an intensive bootcamp held on December 14 at the Oman Across Ages Museum. Out of over 400 applicants, 100 participants were selected to form 20 teams. During the boot camp, they underwent intensive training sessions.
After rigorous evaluation, only 8 teams were selected to advance to the final stage, which took place during December 19-21 at the Naseem DusitD2 Resort in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar. Participants completed their projects under the guidance of a panel of experts and mentors from various sectors. The final ideas were then presented to a judging panel composed of experts and specialists.
The closing ceremony witnessed the crowning of the winners of the first places, which were as follows: first place went to the 'Beyond' team, whose project focused on designing an intelligent tourism platform that utilises VR and AR technologies, targeting primarily the Chinese market. Meanwhile, the 'Walk' team secured second place, crowned for their project that employs AI to assist visitors in exploring destinations and tourist experiences. The third place was awarded to the 'Hydro-X' team, which presented innovative solutions that contribute to reducing water waste through the use of advanced leak detection technologies.
Additionally, the 'Janainah' team received a special award presented by Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, whose project focused on developing a digital platform that serves as a smart technical reference and personal assistant for every farmer, facilitating farmers' access to the latest information and remote consultations on various crop cultivation methods.
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