• The hackathon was held by Dubai Lynx in strategic partnership with Dubai Media City to contribute towards the vision of Education 33 Strategy ‘E33’

The Dubai Lynx Student Hack, hosted in Strategic Partnership with Dubai Media City, the region’s leading media hub and one of TECOM Group PJSC’s 10 business districts across Dubai, concluded after an intensive 24‑hour creative challenge that brought together top university talent from Association Partners, Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Park, which together comprise TECOM Group’s Education Cluster.

Four teams, each comprising five students, participated in the challenge, which included students first attending sessions led by industry experts who guided them on how to approach the brief. This was followed by each team presenting its ideas to a jury comprising industry leaders, who scored the submissions on creativity, strategic insight, and real-world impact.

Held at Dubai Knowledge Park, the two‑day programme immersed students in a real‑world creative brief and culminated in the selection of the winning campaign, which stood out for its strategic clarity, creative execution, and strong alignment with Dubai’s long‑term educational vision. The winning team comprised Maleeha Alam from De Montfort University Dubai; Bhumi Bhatia of Middlesex University Dubai; Brishnee Luximon representing S P Jain School of Global Management; Marwah Ansar from Murdoch University Dubai; and Sefan Herpassa Garomssa of Zayed University.

“Youth talent has the unique ability to inject fresh perspectives that accelerate our industry’s progress, and as the region’s leading media hub, Dubai Media City empowers young creatives to collaborate and innovate,” said Majed Al Suwaidi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Media City, Dubai Production City, and Dubai Studio City, part of TECOM Group. “Our Strategic Partnership for Dubai Lynx Creative Hack demonstrates our commitment to championing platforms where today’s talent can reshape tomorrow’s creativity, and we commend the winners and participants of this year's competition. Aligned with the goals of Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’ and Education 33 Strategy ‘E33’, we will continue to support such initiatives as our community remains the destination of choice for media talent from around the world.”

Ian Fairservice, Vice Chairman, Dubai Lynx, said: “The calibre of work produced by students this year reflects the incredible creative potential across the region. At Dubai Lynx, we are committed to supporting programmes that give young people the platform, mentorship, and visibility they need to thrive in this industry.”

The Jury panel comprised Alka Winter, VP Marketing & Communications, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority; Ciaran Bonass, Executive Creative Director, SRMG Labs; Diyaa Sherif, Division Lead, Innocean; Douglas Palau, VP – IAA UAE and Vitamin C; Georges Khouri, Marketing Director, TECOM Group; and Sara Paye, Senior Marketing & Communications Director, Dentsu.

This year’s brief challenged students to design a 360° communication campaign aimed at inspiring and attracting global learners to Dubai, positioning the city as a world‑class, learner‑centric education destination. The challenge aligned with the objectives of the Education 33 Strategy ‘E33’, supporting Dubai’s vision to empower diverse learners, foster innovation, and become a leading global education hub by 2033.

Dubai Lynx Student Hack serves as a launchpad for emerging creatives, offering hands-on experience, industry exposure, and the opportunity to contribute to initiatives shaping Dubai’s creative landscape. Dubai Lynx is the Middle East and North Africa region’s leading platform for creative excellence and effectiveness.

Dubai Media City is part of TECOM Group’s portfolio of 10 business districts, including Dubai Internet City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Industrial City, Dubai Science Park, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City, and Dubai Design District (d3).

Contacts:
press@dubailynx.com

About Dubai Media City

Dubai Media City is the cornerstone of the regional media landscape. One of TECOM Group PJSC’s 10 business districts, the vibrant destination provides sector-specific infrastructure and a collaborative environment to foster innovation and nurture creativity. Alongside Dubai Production City and Dubai Studio City, Dubai Media City comprises TECOM Group’s Media Cluster, which is home to more than 40,000 creative professionals.

For more information, please visit www.dmc.ae.

About Dubai Lynx

Dubai Lynx is MENA’s leading Awards for creative excellence and effectiveness, in the Middle East and North Africa. Presented by Ascential, organisers of Cannes Lions, together with their regional partners, Motivate Media Group, the Dubai Lynx, is held in association with the UAE Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) and with the support of Dubai Media City (DMC). The Awards serve as the definitive benchmark for creative excellence, marketing strategy and effectiveness in MENA.

www.dubailynx.com

About Motivate Media Group

Motivate Media Group operates across the GCC and MENA region with a diverse portfolio of media interests comprising magazines, digital, social, video, exhibitions & events, cinema and books.

A leading publisher in the Gulf since 1979, its portfolio includes market-leading magazines, eight websites and over 300 book titles. Motivate’s digital and video division is an established content provider for some of the region’s largest companies and the Motivate events team expertly stage some of the GCC’s major award ceremonies, festivals and activations.

With a staff of more than 200 experienced and dedicated professionals, Motivate is committed to providing editorial excellence, and a corporate mission to develop integrated communication channels that entertain, inform and enrich.

Motivatemedia.com

 About LIONS

LIONS is the global platform that champions creativity and marketing effectiveness for growth. We help businesses grow through creative marketing that matters.

We know that creativity can and should be applied across the full marketing mix. Creativity is an impactful business driver - and when it's integrated with a culture of effectiveness, it's a competitive advantage.

Backed by over 150 years of experience and evidence, Cannes Lions, WARC, Effie, Contagious and Acuity - provides the global marketing industry with the definitive benchmarks, intelligence, training and tailored advice needed to grow.

LIONS is part of Informa PLC.

www.lions.co

About Informa

Informa PLC is a leading international B2B events, digital services and academic research group.

We champion specialists. Through hundreds of market-leading brands, we connect people with knowledge so they can learn more, know more and do more.

We operate in over 30 countries and serve businesses and professionals working in over a dozen specialist markets.

Informa is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.

www.informa.com