AUB Students Secure Second Prize in AI Hackathon at Saudi Arabia

Manama: The American University of Bahrain (AUB) has made waves at the 19th Middle East Corrosion and Asset Safety Conference and Exhibition, with its students securing second place at the inaugural Artificial Intelligence Hackathon. The event, held in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, drew over 1,500 students from across the region, making it a premier platform for innovation in corrosion and materials.

Jana Abu Sarhan, Lawrence Mascarenas, Abdulaziz Ajlan, and Malak Al Salam, the proud AUB team members, tackled the challenge of Material Failure Analysis, developing an AI model that identifies root causes of material failure, recommends solutions and boosts industrial safety. Their brainchild reduces manual inspection burdens, enhancing safety and efficiency in engineering sectors.

The team's achievement earned them a $7,500 cash prize (around BD 2,824.34) and $10,000 (BD 3,765.79) in project incubation support, educational grants and research opportunities, paving the way for their project to become a scalable solution.

Congratulating the students, Dr. Wafa Al-Mansouri, acting president of AUB, said, "This victory showcases our students' exceptional talent and our university's commitment to innovation and excellence. It reflects our mission to nurture national cadres capable of leading the future."

The winning students expressed their gratitude to AUB for its unwavering support, acknowledging the hackathon as a transformative experience that allowed them to apply their skills to a real-world problem. They're eager to further develop their model, enhancing industrial safety in Bahrain and beyond.