Tourism hackathons Saudi Arabia are now launching as the Saudi Tourism Development Fund has introduced a series designed to foster innovation in the Kingdom’s travel sector. Registration opened on April 28, 2026, with events planned across eight major cities including Riyadh, Mecca, Taif, Qassim, Hail, AlUla, Jeddah, and Khobar.
Qassai bin Abdullah Al-Fakhari, chief executive of the Saudi Tourism Development Fund, said the program extends the organization’s commitment to supporting growth in the tourism industry. He noted that the hackathons provide a platform for entrepreneurs to develop solutions that enhance visitor experiences and improve service efficiency across the Kingdom’s destinations.
“The Fund is committed to supporting innovation in the tourism sector through initiatives that enable entrepreneurs to develop solutions that improve tourist experiences and strengthen service efficiency across various destinations,” Al-Fakhari said. “Tourism hackathons serve as a platform to accelerate development of promising ideas and connect them with the sector’s support and empowerment ecosystem, contributing to building a more competitive and sustainable tourism sector.”
Qassai bin Abdullah Al-Fakhari, Chief Executive, Saudi Tourism Development Fund
Tourism hackathons Saudi Arabia: Track Focus Areas
The events concentrate on multiple development tracks reflecting opportunities within the tourism sector. Accommodation solutions form one track, encompassing rural lodges and alternative tourism housing alongside shared housing models. A separate track addresses tour guidance and language services. Supporting services make up another focus area, with tracks covering digital tourism technology, transportation services, and travel booking solutions.
Experience-based tracks include agricultural and rural tourism, religious tourism, and wellness tourism services. This structure enables participants to address specific gaps in Saudi tourism’s service infrastructure and visitor experience offerings.
Previous Program Results and Growth
The current program builds on successful prior iterations conducted during 2024 and 2025 across six regions. Those earlier hackathons drew over 802 registrants, with more than 533 active participants developing over 128 startup projects. The previous rounds resulted in registration of more than 50 commercial entities, alongside connections between promising projects and tourism enablement program partners for development and funding support.
The expansion to eight cities reflects growing momentum in Saudi’s startup ecosystem and aligns with national tourism targets under Saudi Vision 2030. Growth Center, the non-financial enablement arm of the Saudi Tourism Development Fund, organizes the hackathon series as part of broader innovation promotion efforts within the tourism industry.
National Tourism Strategy Integration
The hackathon initiative connects entrepreneurs with the broader tourism support ecosystem, enabling qualified solutions to access funding and development resources. By distributing events across eight geographic centers, organizers ensure participation opportunities span the Kingdom’s major tourism destinations and underserved regions alike.
Participants can join events in their home regions or travel to compete in multiple cities, creating networking opportunities across the national tourism industry. The program demonstrates commitment to building competitive advantages in tourism services through domestic talent and technology innovation.
