AAU Student Wins First Place in AI Hackathon for Public Transport Development in Ajman
Abdulrahman Al Toum, a Digital Media student at the College of Communication and Media at Al Ain University, secured first place in the AI Hackathon held in the Emirate of Ajman. The competition was organized by the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office in collaboration with the Ajman Transport Authority, with the aim of leveraging artificial intelligence technologies to enhance public transport services and automate operational processes.
Participating in the hackathon for the first time, Al Toum joined a four-member team that took on the challenge titled “Public Transport Operations Automation – Agentic AI.” The challenge focused on utilizing AI agents to plan and schedule bus station trips, manage fleets and drivers, and respond intelligently and instantly to operational changes in ways that enhance community satisfaction.
The team developed a smart application powered by multiple AI agents capable of analyzing a wide range of data and factors affecting transport operations, including weather conditions, traffic congestion, trip demand, bus movements, peak hours, performance indicators, and delays. The solution is designed to support more efficient operational decision-making and enable real-time responses to changing conditions.
In developing the solution, the team integrated artificial intelligence, programming, and data analytics, while utilizing modern AI tools to build a scalable and comprehensive model aimed at improving the efficiency of the public transport system and enhancing the user experience.
Rather than creating an entirely new transport system from scratch, the project was designed to enhance the existing infrastructure. The team began by collecting and analyzing transport-related data in Ajman, identifying patterns and key influencing factors, and subsequently developing an intelligent layer of AI agents on top of the current transport system. This approach enhances its ability to analyze information, make decisions, and respond to operational developments in real time.
In the same competition, Hamza Samir Safi, also a student at the College of Communication and Media, secured third place for his smart project focusing on the use of data and predictive analytics.
This achievement highlights the importance of integrating academic disciplines with emerging technologies and demonstrates the role of students in developing practical solutions to future challenges, while contributing to the UAE’s ongoing journey toward digital transformation and artificial intelligence.
