01
AI for Impact
How can AI and digital solutions accelerate the transition to a sustainable future?
Gulf 2026 · Online Hackathon
Ericsson
Sustainability
Challenge.
Let's Hack for Earth with Ericsson!
Bring your ideas. Build real solutions to the UN Global Goals with Ericsson technology, mentorship and the Dream! Hack! Build! method — open to students across the Gulf.
1,000
hackers across the Gulf
10+
universities on tour
3
challenge categories
POWERED BY DREAM! HACK! BUILD!5 GLOBAL EVENTS125+ COUNTRIES REACHED25,000+ YOUTH ENGAGEDCOP28 CO-ORGANIZER
The method
Dream! Hack! Build! — from idea to real-world solution.
Dream!
A public Dream campaign turns the community's visions for the future into the hackathon's challenges.
Hack!
Teams tackle the challenges over five days with Ericsson mentors, partners and a live-streamed jury.
Build!
Winning teams enter Build for Earth — a six-month acceleration program that turns solutions into market-ready tools.
The challenges
Pick your challenge.
02
Connected Planet
How can connectivity — 5G, IoT, intelligent infrastructure — transform sustainability?
03
Connected People
How can citizens and communities drive the UN's Global Goals?
The journey
The journey to impact.
AUG 2026
Launch
Kick-off & registration opens
OCT 2026
University Tour
Campus visits across the UAE
NOV 2026
The Hackathon
Five days, live-streamed finale
DEC 2026
GITEX Award Ceremony
Winners on stage in Dubai
RECOGNITION & PRIZES
Three winning teams making their solutions a reality.
The winning team from each of the three challenge categories will receive:
DEC 2026 · DUBAI
The GITEX Global stage
An invitation to GITEX Dubai to attend and present at the Ericsson Sustainability Challenge Award Ceremony and introduce your solution to the entire audience.
GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT
International recognition
International recognition for your team and university's innovation.
JAN – JUN 2027
Build for Earth
A place in Build for Earth, Hack for Earth's six-month global accelerator programme.
Build for Earth supports outstanding teams in transforming their ideas into scalable ventures — through expert mentoring, leadership development, business coaching, investor readiness and access to an international network of partners and advisors.
EXPERT MENTORINGLEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTBUSINESS COACHINGINVESTOR READINESSGLOBAL PARTNER NETWORK
Who are Hack for Earth
Citizen-driven innovation, worldwide.
Hack for Earth Foundation is a Swedish organization and one of the world's leading platforms for citizen-driven sustainability innovation.
Since its inception, Hack for Earth has engaged more than 25,000 participants from over 125 countries, bringing together students, entrepreneurs, researchers, corporations, governments and international organizations to co-create real solutions supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Our unique and published Dream • Hack • Build methodology goes beyond the traditional hackathon by combining challenge discovery, collaborative innovation and long-term acceleration, enabling promising ideas to continue their journey toward real-world implementation.
Hack for Earth has organized innovation initiatives connected to the United Nations, COP27, COP28, Expo 2020 Dubai, the World Economic Forum in Davos, London Climate Action Week and New York Climate Week, working alongside global partners to empower innovators to create measurable impact.
We are proud to organize the Ericsson Sustainability Challenge together with Ericsson, creating a platform that empowers university students across the Gulf to develop solutions that contribute to a more sustainable and connected future.
25,000+
participants engaged worldwide
125+
countries reached
Dream • Hack • Build
our published innovation methodology
Ready to Hack for Earth?
Open to students & young innovators in the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain — and beyond.