CX HACKATHON @ E3
Welcome to the Largest CX Hackathon in the World
About the Hackathon
Following the tremendous success and positive feedback from its first edition, Tajriba and E3 CX are thrilled to announce the second edition of the CX Hackathon in Saudi Arabia. This exciting program, led by industry-leading mentors and experts in the rapidly growing Customer Experience sector, will bring together up to 30 teams of young Saudi CX professionals and university students. The teams will compete across six categories, all vying for the renowned CX title.
Key Dates
| June 2026 | Announce the hackathon and format |
| July – August | Welcome and Encourage Teams to sign up |
| September 2026 | Pre event briefing Sessions |
| 29 – 30 Sept 2026 | Host the hackathon |
Venue Arrangements
The hackathon venue will feature dedicated teamwork areas, a presentation and mentoring zone, cafeteria-style seating, coffee stations, and all necessary stationery for each team.
CX Hackathon 2026 will have 6 CX challenges
from the below industries:
Law and Justice
Healthcare
Transportation
Finance
Telecom
Municipality
Law and Justice
Healthcare
Transportation
Finance
Telecom
Municipality
The CX Hackathon offers an excellent opportunity for the next generation to learn, analyze, and apply practical knowledge in customer experience. It will play a key role in advancing CX expertise in the kingdom, preparing Saudi professionals and youth to innovate and deliver world-class CX services and solutions.
Teams will receive expert mentorship throughout the two-day event and in pre-event sessions, helping them generate fresh ideas and perspectives.
At the end of the hackathon, each team will present their solutions to an expert panel, which will review and select the best initiative.
The CX Challange
Each of the six CX challenges will be developed in consultation with the Saudi Ministry or relevant entities, addressing key issues they face.
Teams will receive detailed information about the challenge during the pre-event briefing session. Experts and mentors will guide teams in solving these challenges using the latest innovations and ideas. Teams will also have access to additional resources, including reading materials, case studies, and suggested tools and methodologies from global experts, along with mentoring sessions throughout the event.
Your mission is to create an innovative and practical CX solution that will benefit future generations.
Your solution will
- Bring innovation to life : Develop a real-time application that is delivered in an engaging, creative, and impactful way
- Ensure accessibility and practicality : Design a CX solution that is interactive, well-structured, and easy for practitioners to adapt and implement in their organizations.
- Push the boundaries of creativity and innovation : Invent a groundbreaking approach to shaping the future of CX solutions.
Who can participate ?
Young Saudi CX Professionals Team
- A group of up to five Saudi CX professionals.
- Only Saudi nationals representing KSA ministries, companies, or private organizations are eligible to apply.
- All team members must have a maximum of three years of experience in the CX field.
- All teams must register on the CX Hackathon website.
- Up to 15 teams of young CX professionals will be selected for the hackathon.
University Students Team
- A group of up to five Saudi university students.
- Each team must include one academic mentor and four students.
- Team members should possess basic communication, computer, and technology skills expected of university students.
- All teams must register on the CX Hackathon website.
- Up to 15 teams of University students will be selected for the hackathon.
The Prize
6 Categories, 12 Winners
20,000 SAR(Each Category)
10,000 SAR(Each Category)
With six categories, a total of 12 teams will be awarded, recognizing exceptional talent and innovation in customer experience.
What happens after you apply for the hackathon participation?
- Submissions will be reviewed, and additional information may be requested to verify the details provided in the application form.
- Judges and mentors will evaluate the applications and select the top 30 teams, with six teams competing in each category.
- Final team selections will be announced from August 2026
- Selected teams will be invited to participate in online pre-hackathon briefing sessions scheduled for August 2026
CX Hackathon Judges and Mentors
The CX Hackathon will feature a distinguished panel of judges and mentors, comprising leading experts in the customer experience field. Judges will include senior CX directors and managers from government agencies, CX leaders from the private sector, technology experts, and renowned academics.
Judging Criteria
| 35% | Relevance to the theme or challenge |
| 25% | Technical Complexity |
| 20% | Business Potential |
| 20% | Practicality |
Hackathon Process
Pre-Event Mentoring Sessions:
- Teams will participate in two pre-event mentoring sessions
- Sessions will provide an overview of the hackathon format, preparation steps, and expectations for each phase.
- Participants will be guided through every stage of problem-solving, from understanding the challenge to gathering requirements and defining the issue.
- Expert mentors will provide continuous support to help teams develop actionable solutions.
Event Day:
- The Hackathon will begin with a brief welcome address by the Moderator.
- Each team will be assigned one or more mentors to offer focused guidance throughout the day
- Mentors will assist in refining ideas, overcoming obstacles, and ensuring the development of effective solutions
- This structured process ensures teams are fully prepared to tackle challenges, innovate solutions, and excel in the competition.
Hackathon Agenda
Time
Activity
Description
09:00 am
Registration Meet/ Greet
Arrivals and coffee/ tea.
Distribute name tags and group assignments on tables.
09:30 am
Official start & Welcoming note
Overview of Customer Experience (CX).
Moderator to share a hackathon brief, mentors/ judges’ roles, judging criteria, and the process of the two days.
10:00 am
Fireside chat with leadership
Discussion with leadership about the significance of CX- “The Importance of CX in Today’s Business Landscape.”
10:10 am
Introduction to Mentors and the CX Challenge
Introduce Mentors and their roles in the hackathon.
Presentation of the CX challenge brief.
10:55 am
Work teams set up
Explain the design thinking/hackathon process in more detail and what the expected result of each phase.
Explain break time is for each team to decide on based on their energy level, but they need to consider the deadlines for each phase.
11:25 am
Phase one: Empathize
Explanation of design thinking process.
Introduction to empathy tools: user profile and empathy map.
Understand the main user of the solution. Research the focal point and understand their needs and desires.
Speak to people who fit the profile, ask questions, and create initial insights.
12:00 pm
Phase two: Define
Start defining the challenge through desktop research and/or visiting the booths in the conference to learn more about the challenge from SMEs.
Synthesize findings into 3 – 5 bullet points and identify which aspect to expand.
Ideate on challenge statements and with the help of a mentor choose the angle to focus on.
12:40 pm
Lunch and Prayer Break
Time to eat
01:40 pm
Challenge statement refinement
Each team explains their challenge statement to their mentor.
Place the challenge statement on the team’s board (flipchart) as a starting point to gather ideas.
02:10 pm
Phase three: Develop Ideas and Solutions
Individual, silent ideation on post-its.
Grouping and clustering of ideas into concepts.
02:40 pm
Ideation: Idea Clustering
Teams start to group and cluster ideas into concepts.
The team discusses the best cluster to take forward and they fill their concept sheet template.
03:10 pm
Concept development
Converge on a solution using multiple ideas and developing an experiment plan.
03:50 pm
End of Day 1
The lead facilitator provides a summary of the Day.
Group feedback is gathered by all teams / mentors.
Time
Activity
Description
09:00 am
Recap of Day 1
Review yesterday’s agenda. Go over today.
Recheck team’s challenge statements and ensure they are on track showcase a short video for all.
09:30 am
Phase four: Prototype development
Building prototypes based on selected solutions Students will test their concept with relevant stakeholders.
10:30 am
User Experience Design
Designing an engaging and intuitive user experience- UI principles and best practices.
11:30 am
Testing and Feedback
Testing of prototype.
Feedback collection from mentors and peers.
12:30 pm
Lunch Break
01:30 pm
Finalizing Solutions
Iterative improvements based on feedback.
Preparation for presentations.
02:30 pm
Presentation Preparation
Practice sessions for presentation delivery.
Technical checks and run-throughs.
04:00 pm
Presentation Sessions and Judging
Each team presents their innovative solution.
Q&A session with judges.
Judging and evaluation of presentations.
05:00 pm
Award Ceremony and Closing Remarks
- Announcement of winners
- Thank you note to participants and mentors
- Closing remarks
Hackathon Registration
As a requirement for the hackathon, teams must meet the criteria of having a minimum of five members, with four members being students and one member being a faculty member.
As a requirement for the hackathon, teams must meet the criteria of having a minimum of five members, with four members being students and one member being a faculty member.