e&, a global technology group and founding member of the GCC Sustainability Innovation Hub, announced it has joined top regional telecom operators to launch the first GCC Sustainability Hackathon. The high-intensity challenge aims to uncover the next wave of green technology breakthroughs and rethink how regional networks are built, powered, and maintained.

The inaugural hackathon invites innovators, solution providers, and startups to compete across three tracks: AI-driven energy efficiency to reduce power consumption; e-waste management to transform discarded telecom hardware into valuable resources; and renewable energy solutions to scale clean power for towers and data centres.

Mohamed H Almarzooqi, Sr. Vice President/Access Network, e& international, said, “By uniting the GCC’s strongest networks and brightest talent, we can turn prototypes into region-wide change in months, not years. The ideas born here could help cut costs, slash emissions, and support net-zero ambitions faster.”

Participants will compete for prizes while designing solutions with measurable environmental impact. The best ideas will be presented live during a special event hosted by stc Group in Riyadh. Registration is open until September 1, and submissions will be evaluated by a judging panel representing all participating telcos. Finalists will present their ideas from September 14 to 16, with winners announced on September 17.

Andrew Dunnett, Group Senior Vice President of Sustainability, e&, added, “Meeting net-zero targets requires accelerating the best ideas to full-scale adoption. This hackathon provides a platform for startups to turn pilots into impactful solutions and prove that sustainable networks are a performance advantage, not a trade-off.”

The GCC Sustainability Innovation Hub, formed by e&, Beyon, du, Ooredoo, Omantel, stc Group, and Zain, aims to establish region-wide procurement standards for green technology and accelerate renewable energy adoption across 39 subsidiaries in 33 countries. The hub has a strong track record in cutting network energy use, deploying renewables, and reducing e-waste.

e&’s sustainability initiatives include net-zero emissions targets (Scopes 1 & 2) by 2030 in the UAE and by 2040 globally, Project Life to reduce Scope 3 emissions, eco-friendly recycled SIM cards, the region’s first net-zero 5G Massive MIMO site powered by renewables, and Sustainability-as-a-Service solutions using IoT, AI, and automation.

The GCC has the talent, the networks, and the urgency, and this hackathon is a standing invitation to turn innovation into measurable impact and set a global benchmark for sustainable telecom.

Bullet Points for Quick Reference:

• GCC Sustainability Hackathon launched by e& and top regional telcos.
• Participants compete across AI energy efficiency, e-waste, and renewable energy tracks.
• Finalists present solutions live in Riyadh; winners announced September 17.

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