Student Games
Introduction
The 2026 Student Games will be held as a part of the ISA Saudi Automation Conference, scheduled to be held from October 13th - October 15th, 2026, in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The competition will begin a day earlier, on October 12th, and conclude on October 14th.
Challenge
The theme of the game is “Where Challenges Meet Opportunities” and aims to provide students the opportunity to showcase their skills and knowledge. Participation in the competition will focus on competing in two (2) tracks:
The First track competition will require student to attend in-person and compete in a team formation competition. Student teams will be formed randomly on the day of the competition followed by an icebreaker, and then a challenge to resolve. The challenge forms the core of the Student Games. They are intended to test students on principles of AI/ML and its capabilities. The actual challenge details will be shared on the first day of the competition; October 12, 2026.
WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE
The student games are open for EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Pakistan) students. Moreover, Universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be invited to participate.
Student Games Judges Team
The student games will be examined by a diverse team of judges that represent academia and industry. The judging criteria will be focused on the following:
TRACK #1: THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING (AI/ML) & INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS (IIOT) CHALLENGE
Below is the Student Games Agenda for in the in-person competition along with more specific details.
AI/ML & IIOT CHALLENGE AGENDA
October 13, 2026
October 14, 2026
October 15, 2026
Event Language
The event shall be conducted in English.
Team Organization
Each team must be composed of 4 students from different academic institutions. The team formation will be random and as selected by the Student Games & Technical Committee.
Accommodations & Meals
The accommodation will be covered by the event, based on a standard single room for each participant, which will include breakfast. Additional food budget allocation per day is 188 SAR ($50).
Airline Ticket/Travel
The event will contribute to the airline ticket for a maximum value of SAR1500 ($400). This contribution will be paid on the last day of the competition (There will be no prepayment). Car transportations will not be covered.
Competition Location
The competition will be held in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The exact address will be shared at a later date.
Participant Roles & Responsibilities
• Participants shall make necessary travel arrangements to Dhahran
• Participants shall bring laptops to develop innovative solutions
• Participants shall attend each day of the event
• Participants shall be available to their team members to develop challenge solutions
• Participants shall contribute to the development of challenge solutions
• Participants shall comply with business casual dress code
• Participants are prohibited from enlisting external help
TRACK #2 : BEST PAPER COMPETITION
Best Paper Competition Requirements:
• The paper competition is open to students enrolled full-time or part-time in associate, undergraduate, or graduate master degree programs in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics during the period of September 2024 to June 2025. PhD students will not be part of this competition.
• All entries must be submitted by April 10th, 2025 via email.
• Papers must be written and submitted by student(s) (associate, undergraduate, or graduate, in any Engineering discipline) enrolled full-time or part-time during the period of August 2024 to June 2025 at an academic institution.
• Work must be original and not previously published (copyright remains with the author; winners grant publication rights to ISA Saudi Arabia, as well as the right to release entries to media).
• All entries must be in English and suitable for publication.
• Include a title and a list of names of all contributing authors, their contact details, and the affiliated institute of higher education.
• Must be prefaced with an abstract of no more than 400 words.
• All papers should be less than 2,000 words (not including notes, tables, charts, and a bibliography, which may not exceed 3 pages).
• Should be submitted in electronic format, preferably Microsoft Word or other revisable format, in 12-point type size.
• Submissions will be reviewed by the event’s Student Games and Technical Committee.