Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Time: 1:00–2:00 PM
Location: Building 9, lecture hall 2322
Earlier this month, a KAUST student startup beat roughly 55,000 entrants from around the world to win the 2026 Hult Prize and its $1 million award. Flow Guard, founded by KAUST’s Mohammed Ahmed and Omar Khalifa, took the top prize at the global finals in the UK for an affordable, AI-powered smart water meter that detects leaks and cuts water waste in real time.
On September 29, the founders return to campus to tell the story behind the win: how the idea took shape through TIE, what the journey from a national qualifier to a global title actually looked like, and what they learned along the way. The session runs from 1:00 to 2:00 PM at Building 9, lecture hall 2322, with welcome remarks from Prof. Arwa Al-Aama, Interim Senior Vice President, Education and Advancement, and a moderated fireside chat with the team.
The hour closes with a look at how you can get involved, whether you’re weighing an idea of your own or curious about what TIE offers. Come hear how two students turned a research problem into a solution the world needs.
