“Miyahthon”: A Workshop Bridging Innovations from the Lab to the Market at IDWS

“Miyahthon” is featuring some of the most inspiring innovation stories at the Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference (IDWS 2025) in Jeddah, having transformed in just one year into the largest national platform for developing water solutions, bringing together youth, entrepreneurs, and experts in a technological race that extends from idea to market.

The second edition of Miyahthon was launched following the success of its first edition and recorded a record turnout exceeding 1,200 applicants during the registration phase, before 475 qualifiers advanced to the virtual stage, which served as the decisive gateway for selecting the most promising and market-ready ideas.

Through the qualification rounds, more than 60 teams advanced to the on-site innovation camp hosted across three main locations: Riyadh, Haql, and Jubail, where they began their first real steps toward transforming innovative ideas into executable technology-driven projects.

Today, 100 participants representing the top qualified talents are present within the conference halls, while anticipation builds for tomorrow’s announcement of the 12 winning teams, who will receive full incubation support to advance their ideas or products through a professional development program lasting six to eight months, tailored specifically to the needs of each project or startup.

Miyahthon stands out as a national factory for innovators, as its first edition resulted in the launch of startup companies that are now among 24 firms showcasing their solutions at the conference.

This year’s competition spans five core tracks; sustainable production and desalination technologies; water transmission, distribution, and storage solutions; wastewater treatment technologies; water conservation, health, and social impact; along with AI and smart systems for water management.

This diversity of tracks forms an integrated roadmap for redesigning the future of the Kingdom’s water sector, by fostering a national innovation ecosystem that strengthens sustainability and opens the door for a new generation of technologies aligned with global transformations in water resource management.

Organizers of Miyahthon emphasize that the goal is not merely to crown winners, but to build a long-term innovation industry that enables Saudi youth to access the market, strengthens national water security, and reinforces the Kingdom’s position as a global hub for future water technologies.