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Samsung Electronics MENA, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), celebrated the winners of the ACT28 AI for Climate Hackathon during a special ceremony at the AI Retreat 2024. This event, held on June 11, recognized three standout projects from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey for their innovative use of AI to combat climate change.

The winning teams were Pestipilot AI from the UAE, Gamified AI Recycling Bin for Efficient Waste Segregation from Saudi Arabia, and Green Finance Navigator from Turkey. These projects showcased cutting-edge technology to address significant environmental challenges.

Winning Projects

• Pestipilot AI: This AI-powered drone from the UAE assists in crop pesticide control using advanced deep learning-based image classification to identify areas with poor crop quality. It collects soil samples to ensure pesticide compliance and offers farmers precise recommendations through a Pesticide Control App.

• Gamified AI Recycling Bin for Efficient Waste Segregation: Hailing from Saudi Arabia, this project utilizes AI-powered computer vision combined with a gamified reward system to enhance waste sorting and recycling, promoting sustainability and community engagement.

• Green Finance Navigator: Turkey’s winning project is a platform designed to streamline climate finance and sustainable investment, providing reliable information for high-impact climate projects and tools for project management and stakeholder collaboration.

The hackathon, announced during COP28 in Dubai in 2023, attracted over 50 entries from seven countries. Ten teams advanced to the final round, presenting their solutions to a panel of judges from Samsung and UNDP during Demo Day on May 26.

Participants leveraged various advanced technologies, including AI and machine learning for data-driven solutions, IoT for real-time monitoring, blockchain for transparent climate finance, data analytics and visualization for actionable insights, and geospatial technologies for location-based applications. Mentors from Generation17, a Samsung-UNDP initiative to amplify young leaders' voices, provided guidance throughout the hackathon.

Statements from Leaders

Susanne Dam-Hansen, Regional Hub Manager a.i. at UNDP, expressed her enthusiasm: "We are thrilled with the innovative solutions developed by the winning teams. Their creativity and expertise in leveraging AI and other advanced technologies to tackle climate change challenges is truly commendable. In partnership with Samsung, UNDP remains committed to empowering the next generation of innovators to drive positive change through technology."

Omar Saheb, Regional VP of Marketing and Online Business at Samsung Electronics MENA, echoed this sentiment: "We are delighted with the solutions developed by the winning teams from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Their ingenuity in leveraging AI to address climate change challenges is inspiring. Samsung is dedicated to empowering young innovators to make a positive impact through technology."

AI Retreat 2024

The AI Retreat 2024, organized by the Dubai Center for AI Applications in collaboration with the National Program for Artificial Intelligence under the annual Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence (DUB.AI), attracted over 1,000 AI experts and specialists. The event aimed to support AI adoption across sectors and position Dubai as a global leader in AI advancement.

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