Jahez Application, a pioneering platform that connects customers with their favourite shops through online orders, in partnership with the Kuwait Innovation Center (KIC), proudly celebrated the successful conclusion of Kuwait’s First Food Innovation Hackathon. The national initiative brought together youth, startups and aspiring innovators to reimagine the future of food sector through technology, entrepreneurship and bold problem-solving.
Over the course of the program, 19 teams including 12 group teams and 7 individual participants competed to develop innovative, technology-driven solutions addressing real challenges in the food and delivery sector. From AI-powered applications to data-driven solutions and logistics optimization models, the hackathon highlighted the creativity and technical strength of Kuwait’s youth.
Beyond the technological solutions, the hackathon also reinforced the importance of collaboration between startups, students and industry leaders, fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in Kuwait.
The winners were honoured during the closing ceremony at Jahez head office – Andalus Hall:
- First Place – Project Wasel (Nour Altunaib, Somou Aloun, Sedra Asrawi, Noura Almethin, Alaa Alkandari)
- Second Place – Project Lamma (Yousef Qasem, Khaled Qasem)
- Third Place – Dynamic Pricing (Omar Alotaibi)
The winners were evaluated against a rigorous judging framework that emphasized originality, uniqueness and the ability to make a real impact on Kuwait’s food sector. Additional factors such as market feasibility, presentation strength and the technical depth of prototypes/MVPs were equally weighted, ensuring that projects were recognized not only for their creativity but also for their potential to be implemented effectively.
Commenting on the success of the event, Abdulrahman Reda, Marketing Team Lead at Jahez, shared: “This hackathon was a platform to empower Kuwait’s youth and their ideas, turning creativity into tangible solutions for our sector. At Jahez, we are proud to play a leading role in advancing innovation, fostering entrepreneurship and building a stronger digital ecosystem for the future.”
The event was hosted by Abdulaziz Darweesh, special host from KTV and featured keynote contributions from Ahmad Almethin, Data Analysis Manager at Jahez and Mohammad Alrefaei, CEO of Kuwait Innovation Center.
The judging panel brought together diverse expertise, including Dr. Mohammad Aljeemaz, consultant at Idea and Investment Opportunity Evaluation – Guidance in Financial Awareness, who is also officially accredited by the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA) to represent foreign investors, Eng. Sara Borjaib, an international judge and Khaled Alsultan, owner of Thinnies in Kuwait.
The ceremony also welcomed distinguished guests, including Shaikh Abdullah Ahmad Sabah Alsalem, Director General of the National Fund, Deputy Director of the Public Authority for Youth Waleed Alansari, Director General of Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity Neda Aldihany, President of Mishref Co-operative Society, faculty member from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Kuwait University Dr. Muhammad Alsaffar, the founder of Tap Payment Ali Abulhasan, representatives from STC and Zain and notable community figures.
This milestone initiative reaffirmed Jahez’s commitment to advancing Kuwait’s innovation ecosystem and empowering young talent, in line with the nation’s Vision 2035.
About Jahez
Jahez-Kuwait is a subsidiary of Jahez International Company KSA, one of the largest food delivery companies in Saudi Arabia. Founded in 2016, Jahez was quick to gain traction in the food delivery industry in Saudi Arabia, emerging as a prominent player with over 1.3 million active users and over 34,000 delivery partners across Saudi Arabia as of 31st March 2021. In 2022, Jahez entered the Kuwaiti market while simultaneously launching its Bahrain operation during the same year.
