Riyadh: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced the winners of the third edition of TCS Sustainathon™ Saudi Arabia, with Team Wafir from King Abdulaziz University taking the top prize for its AI-powered energy efficiency solution.
The competition was held in Riyadh on September 30, bringing together university students from across the Kingdom to develop technology-based solutions to real-world sustainability challenges.
Led by Umair Thasleem, Ammar Koshak and Rayan Alyasi, Team Wafir won the grand prize of SAR 15,000, along with gift vouchers and certificates.
Their solution, Wafir, combines artificial intelligence and digital twin technology to help households, businesses and mosques identify appliances responsible for high energy consumption and find opportunities to reduce electricity costs. The smartphone-based solution provides users with actionable insights aimed at making energy efficiency more accessible across Saudi Arabia.
Top Teams
Team Aeroloop from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals secured second place and received SAR 10,000. The team was led by Zoha Ahmad, Jood Alfaraj, Yara Alsharif and Lemar Alghabra.
Team HydroGuard, led by Lubaba Raed, Arwa Bawazir and Omar Bawazir from Prince Sultan University and Alfaisal University, placed third and received SAR 7,000.
The top three teams also received gift vouchers and certificates, while the remaining finalist teams received SAR 4,000 each, along with certificates and gift vouchers.
AI for Sustainable Futures
This year’s edition was held under the theme “AI for Sustainable Futures,” encouraging participants to explore how artificial intelligence can address challenges related to community health and well-being, food security and agriculture, and affordable and clean energy.
The competition attracted more than 250 registrations and over 50 submissions from students representing more than 40 universities across Saudi Arabia. Ten finalist teams were selected to present their solutions at the grand finale in Riyadh.
The programme focused on developing sustainable, accessible and human-centred solutions designed to address practical challenges facing communities.
Sudhir Sreedharan, Regional Director for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait at TCS, said the solutions demonstrated the strength of Saudi Arabia’s young technology talent and their interest in applying emerging technologies to real-world sustainability challenges.
Since its launch in 2024, TCS Sustainathon Saudi Arabia has developed into a platform for youth-led innovation. Now in its third edition, the programme continues to support students in developing practical ideas aligned with Saudi Arabia’s sustainability and technology priorities.
