7th AnnualRiyadh HubHarvard HSIL

Building
High-Value
Health Systems
with AI

A two-day global hackathon where clinicians, engineers, designers, and policy analysts collaborate to build AI-driven healthcare solutions — hosted at the Riyadh Hub.

April 10–11, 2026
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
5 Continents · Global Event
About the Hackathon

A Global Sprint
for Healthcare
Innovation

Riyadh is proud to host the Saudi hub of the 7th Annual Harvard HSIL Hackathon 2026 at Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Assuwaidi Health Hospital — a two-day global competition organised by the Health Systems Innovation Lab (HSIL) at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The 2026 theme is "Building High-Value Health Systems: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence". Participants collaborate across five continents to turn a real problem into a clear solution concept, pitch, and early prototype.

"Hosting the Harvard Health Innovation Hackathon in Saudi Arabia is a testament to the Kingdom's commitment to advancing healthcare through innovation and technology."

— Riyadh Hub Organizing Committee
📣

Check-in

Opening session & orientation

👥

Teams

Formation & ideation

💡

Build

Develop your solution

📘

Pitch

Mentors, refine & present

2

Days

5

Continents

Free

Registration

Jun 19

Global Demo Day

Who Should Participate?

  • ▸Healthcare professionals & clinicians
  • ▸Engineers & AI/ML developers
  • ▸Designers & UX researchers
  • ▸Public health & policy analysts
  • ▸Entrepreneurs & business innovators
Interdisciplinary teams strongly encouraged · 2–6 members
Riyadh Hub

Our Partners

The Riyadh Hub brings together leading government bodies, academic institutions, and industry innovators united around one mission — building high-value, AI-driven health systems.

Riyadh Hub Partners — The 7th Annual Harvard HSIL Hackathon 2026
Ministry of HealthResearch, Development & Innovation Authority (RDI)Year of AI · SDAIASaudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA)Harvard T.H. Chan — HSILDr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical GroupHUMAINMonsha'atPrince Mohammed Bin Salman College (MBSC)Arbaaa
Event Schedule

Two Days of Intense Building

April 10–11, 2026 · Tap a session to expand details.

Teams arrive, check in, and receive the opening orientation for the day.
Introduction to the program, expectations, and how the day will run.
Participants get context on the challenge statements and possible solution directions.
Attendees connect around ideas, skills, and challenge interests to form teams.
Teams work on framing the problem, designing the solution, and planning the product direction.
Informal break for lunch and networking.
Teams deepen their concept, validate assumptions, and prepare for the following day.
Quick break before teams continue their work.
Focused work session to prepare ideas, prototypes, and early pitch structure.
Final reminders and preparation guidance for Day 2.
Program Roadmap

From Application to Demo Day

A structured seven-phase journey from registration to a global Demo Day with investors. Click a phase to explore.

⚡Phase 03

Hackathon Event

Apr 10–11

What Happens

Teams build and pitch solutions at hubs.

Outcome

Top 50 teams advance.

After the Hackathon: Selected winning teams are invited into a remote, eight-week HSIL Venture Incubation Program, supported by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health experts. The program culminates in a Global Demo Day on June 19, 2026, with pitches to investors and awards.

What Teams Build

11 AI Focus
Challenge Areas

Teams are encouraged to push beyond the obvious — solving real healthcare challenges through AI, data, and system-level thinking.

🗂️

EHR Intelligence

Analyzing health records to uncover patterns and predict patient outcomes.

🔬

AI Diagnosis

Early detection and smarter monitoring through AI-assisted clinical tools.

🤖

Healthcare Assistants

Intelligent chatbots supporting patients and streamlining clinical workflows.

🔗

Connected Systems

Bridging fragmented health platforms into unified, interoperable systems.

🧭

Health Navigation

Helping users navigate complex health data, apps, and information overload.

👩‍⚕️

Workforce Solutions

Technology designed to support and scale healthcare professionals.

🤝

Care Coordination

Improving patient journeys across disconnected healthcare pathways.

📚

Health Literacy

AI tools that simplify medical understanding and empower patients.

🛡️

Preventive AI

Predictive systems encouraging proactive, long-term health engagement.

🌐

Language Access

Breaking communication barriers in healthcare through AI.

👶

Pediatric AI

Advanced models integrating complex, multi-source child health data.

Teams present locally at their hub — and selected teams move forward into a global venture-building journey culminating in Demo Day.

Hackathon Pitch Guide

What to Expect for the Pitch

Each team delivers a 3-minute pitch presenting their solution. With limited time, the presentation should be clear, structured, and focused on the most important aspects of the idea.

3-Minute Pitch Structure

0:00 – 0:30

Problem Statement

Clearly define the healthcare problem your team is solving. Who is affected, and why does it matter?

0:30 – 1:00

Your AI Solution

Describe your AI-driven solution. What does it do, and how does it work at a high level?

1:00 – 1:45

Demo / Prototype

Show your prototype or mockup. Walk judges through the key user flow or technical output.

1:45 – 2:30

Impact & Feasibility

Explain the potential impact on health outcomes, efficiency, or access. Address implementation feasibility.

2:30 – 3:00

Team & Next Steps

Introduce your team's skills and outline the immediate next steps to move this solution forward.

After the pitch: 5 minutes of Q&A from judges, followed by a 5-minute transition to the next team.

Judging Criteria

1Problem Clarity

Is the healthcare challenge clearly defined and significant?

2Innovation

Is the AI solution novel and differentiated from existing approaches?

3Technical Feasibility

Can this be built with current technology and resources?

4Implementation Potential

Can it realistically fit into clinical workflows?

5Pitch Quality

Is the presentation clear, compelling, and well-structured?

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything You Need to Know

The HSIL Hackathon 2026 will take place April 10–11, 2026. It is organized as a global event with multiple hubs around the world. In Saudi Arabia, the local hub will be held in Riyadh, in collaboration with MBSC and the Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Academy.
The 2026 theme is "Building High-Value Health Systems: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence." The focus is on developing AI-driven solutions that can improve healthcare quality, efficiency, and patient outcomes.
Judges evaluate teams based on several factors, including the clarity of the problem addressed, innovation of the solution, technical feasibility, implementation potential, and the overall quality of the pitch and demonstration.
The hackathon is open to students and professionals from diverse fields, including healthcare, engineering, technology, business, design, and public health. Interdisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged.
No. According to the hackathon guidelines, local hubs are expected to host the event without charging participants a registration fee, making participation accessible to a wide range of innovators.
No. Participants can apply individually or as part of a team. Individuals who apply alone are typically matched with other participants to form teams before the hackathon begins. Recommended team size is 2–6 members.
Selected winning teams are invited into a remote, eight-week HSIL Venture Incubation Program supported by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health experts. The program culminates in a Global Demo Day on June 19, 2026, with pitches to investors and awards.
Applicants submit a short idea/problem statement summary (150–200 words) as part of registration, along with basic information and agreement to the hackathon terms. Teams can register as individuals or as pre-formed groups.
Registration

Registration is Closed

The registration window for the HSIL Hackathon 2026 Riyadh Hub has closed. Thank you to all applicants — we look forward to seeing you at the event on April 10–11, 2026.

Event Dates

April 10–11

2026 · Riyadh Hub

Team Size

2–6 Members

Interdisciplinary teams

Registration Fee

Free

No participation fee

Registration Form · HSIL Hackathon 2026 · Riyadh Hub