Dubai, United Arab Emirates (GDM)– Middlesex University (MDX) Dubai emerged as overall winner at the MENA Digital Forum & Hackathon 2025, beating 18 teams from across the Middle East and North Africa. Eight undergraduate and postgraduate teams from MDX Dubai participated in the competition, which was powered by META and hosted by Starbucks at Alshaya Group.
The hackathon challenged students to “Create the Future Starbucks Digital Experience for Dubai,” with projects focused on AI-powered chatbots, intelligent data analytics, augmented reality experiences, and multilingual support, including Arabic, to enhance customer engagement in Dubai’s multicultural environment.
The MDX Dubai effort was led by Dr Chinnu Mary George from the Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics, with faculty mentoring from Dr Engie Bashir, Jaspreet Sethi, Madhumita Das, Dr Sumitra Kotipalli, and Kashfi Rahman. The winning team, Nova Nexus, included five students and was mentored by Dr Sumitra Kotipalli.
Dr Engie Bashir said: “The hackathon gave our students a platform to showcase their skills in technology and digital disciplines, preparing them for future careers while encouraging innovation and teamwork.”
This achievement underscores MDX Dubai’s commitment to nurturing technical expertise, creativity, and leadership among its students on a regional stage.