AMMAN — University students from across Jordan on Tuesday took part in a one-day fintech hackathon, developing technology-based solutions to real-world financial challenges ahead of the Jordan Fintech Festival 2026.

 

The Youth Hackathon, conducted by Ahli Fintech in partnership with the Crown Prince Foundation (CPF) and technology platform Replit, brought university talent into Jordan’s growing fintech ecosystem.

 

Participation was coordinated directly with universities, with students and youth engaged through their institutions rather than through a public application process, according to the FinTech festival 2026 platform.

 

This initiative, which is organised by the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ), gave participating teams one day to turn their ideas into working prototypes, using Replit and artificial intelligence to develop solutions before presenting them to a panel of judges.

 

The hackathon featured three tracks. The first, “Smarter Campuses with AI,” focused on using artificial intelligence to rethink tuition payments, student financial services, institutional banking and the wider student experience.

 

The second, “Cybersecurity & Digital Trust,” challenged teams to develop solutions to combat fraud, strengthen cybersecurity and create safer digital financial experiences.

 

The third, “Banking for Everyone,” focused on making financial services simpler, more accessible and more inclusive.

 

Teams pitched their ideas and demonstrated their prototypes before a panel of judges, with the sessions open to audiences.

 

The top three teams from each track, making nine finalists in total, advanced to the Main Stage of the Jordan Fintech Festival for a second round of pitches. One winning team from each track will be announced and awarded during the festival’s closing ceremony.

 

The hackathon connected university talent with the fintech sector while giving young people practical experience in developing solutions to challenges facing financial institutions and consumers.

 

Ahli Fintech served as the presenting partner, while the Crown Prince Foundation supported youth and university engagement across Jordan. Replit provided the development platform, enabling teams to build and test their prototypes within a single day.

 

The hackathon was held as part of activities preceding the Jordan Fintech Festival 2026, which takes place on September 23-24 and brings together regulators, financial institutions, fintech companies, start-ups, investors and other stakeholders to discuss the development of Jordan’s digital financial ecosystem.