SADAFCO and King Abdulaziz University conclude Marketing Hackathon focused on real commercial challenges and future ready Saudi talent

Manal Saleh

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 26 February 2026 – Saudi Dairy and Foodstuff Company (SADAFCO), in collaboration with King Abdulaziz University, successfully concluded a Marketing Hackathon designed to give university students hands on exposure to real commercial challenges. The initiative reflects a shared focus on applied learning, innovation, and strengthening graduate readiness through meaningful collaboration between academia and the private sector.

The hackathon brought together 30 students from King Abdulaziz University who worked in teams to develop solutions grounded in real SADAFCO business needs. Students tackled two business case tracks covering the Snacks Category and the Culinary Category, building concepts that required marketing thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and clear presentation of ideas in a practical business context.

Nadia Malaika, Chief Human Resources Officer at SADAFCO, said: “At SADAFCO, developing future talent is a long-term commitment. This hackathon gave students direct exposure to real business cases, helping them strengthen practical marketing skills through hands on learning.”

Nahla Abu Alulala, Associate Director, People Experience at SADAFCO, added: “We believe the best learning happens through experience. Working on real SADAFCO challenges helped students build problem solving and teamwork skills, and it also showed how strong ideas come from understanding real market needs.”

Dr. Aqeel Kadasah, Assistant Professor, King Abdulaziz University, said: “At King Abdulaziz University, we are committed to bridging academic learning with real market needs. Collaborations like this hackathon allow our students to apply classroom knowledge in real business contexts, supporting our vision of producing industry-ready graduates who can contribute from day one.”

Dr. Abrar Khayyat, Assistant Professor, King Abdulaziz University, added: “Our students consistently demonstrate strong creativity, discipline, and commercial awareness when given the right platform. Initiatives like this hackathon highlight the quality of talent at King Abdulaziz University and the value of engaging students in real-world business challenges.”

The hackathon concluded with final student presentations held on 8 February 2026 at King Abdulaziz University, with winners announced during the closing session. Student concepts were evaluated by a judging panel comprising representatives from SADAFCO and King Abdulaziz University, and winning teams were recognized for the strength, creativity, and practicality of their solutions.

Awards were presented across two categories: Culinary – Sauces and Convenient Snacking. Winning teams included: [Culinary – Sauces]: [local lens] (Students: [Samar Omar khan -Sadeem Khalid AlBathi -Dania Abdulaziz Alshareef-Diala Farid Nizam Aldin Mohammedhussein -Saja abdulraouf al-sahli) and [Convenient Snacking]: [CrispUp] (Students: [Bayan bosaeed -Raghad Zayed-Jood Jameel noorah-Sarah Abdullah Alhelais- Orjwan Talal Alsobhi])

Through this collaboration, SADAFCO and King Abdulaziz University reinforced the importance of experiential learning and industry engagement in developing confident, capable graduates, and highlighted the impact students can deliver when given real challenges and the space to solve them.

-ENDS-

About Saudia Dairy & Foodstuff Company (SADAFCO)

SADAFCO is a publicly listed company that has been producing high-quality dairy and foodstuff products under the Saudia brand name since 1976, a year after the company was formed. Saudia enjoys being one of the market leaders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the production of tomato paste, ice cream, and milk.

Headquartered in Jeddah, SADAFCO operates sales and distribution activities across 24 locations within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in addition to its presence in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The company also exports its Saudia-branded products to selected markets across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

For more information about SADAFCO, please visit www.sadafco.com