jordan pulse -

As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem and empowering youth in technology and digital creativity, the Zain Innovation Campus (ZINC) served as a strategic partner for the MENA Space Game Challenge 2026 hackathon. The event was organized by MENA Engineering Education and Training (MENA ORG) under the patronage of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, with technical partnership from Manzel Technologies.
​ZINC hosted the hackathon activities over two consecutive days at its main branch in the King Hussein Business Park, providing an integrated working environment that stimulated creativity, collaboration, and the exchange of expertise. ZINC also presented cash prizes to the winning teams, reinforcing its dedication to backing young talents and enabling them to transform their ideas into innovative tech projects.
​Hackathon Overview and Participation
​The Challenge: The MENA Space Game Challenge is a prominent regional hackathon specialized in digital game development. It brings together developers, programmers, and designers to build games inspired by space science and technology within a 48-hour deadline, utilizing gaming as an interactive educational tool to spread scientific knowledge.
​Turnout: The hackathon witnessed the participation of 263 young men and women from Jordan and several Arab countries.
​The Finalists: Out of the participants, 25 teams qualified for the final stage. This included 22 teams participating in person, alongside regional teams from outside Jordan competing remotely.
​Award Winners
​First Place: Team Astro Potatoes from Jordan.
​Second Place: Team Awj-3 from Jordan.
​Third Place: Team Pluto from Egypt.
​Best Storytelling Award: Team Marsyat from Jordan.
​Best Gameplay Award: Team Planet4 from Egypt.
​Rum News Agency