Talabat Concludes Third Edition of 'Academy X' Program

Talabat, the leading daily needs app in the Middle East and North Africa, joined CODED Academy in celebrating the graduation of more than 500 participants from the Academy X 2026 program, Kuwait’s largest initiative to empower girls in technology and entrepreneurship. The graduation ceremony was held in the presence of the graduates, their families, and representatives of the program’s sponsors. The event recently took place at the Martyr’s Park, Phase 2, and featured speeches by the Academy X team, who highlighted the program’s key milestones and achievements, as well as remarks from sponsor representatives. The ceremony also included honoring the winning teams across various program categories, based on voting results.

Talabat presented the “Talabat Award for Best Food Tech Innovation” to the “Saeerati” project, developed by Fajr Meitham Kamal, Aryam Riad Al-Shammari, Fajr Al-Sayed Mehdi Amin, Hawraa Al-Anazi, and Khadija Ali Al-Mohammed.

With the conclusion of the 2026 edition, Talabat continues its third consecutive year as the strategic sponsor of the Academy X program, organized by CODED Academy to empower Kuwaiti girls aged 14 to 25. The program provides them with opportunities for applied learning and hands-on experience in mobile app and website development, user interface and user experience (UI/UX) design, while also fostering leadership and personal skills and introducing them to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.

Commenting on the occasion, Amaal Bu-Khamsin, Director of Corporate Affairs at Talabat Kuwait, said: “We are proud to partner with CODED Academy in celebrating the successful conclusion of the latest edition of the Academy X program. Over the past three years, our partnership has supported a program that enables girls to gain practical experience in technology and entrepreneurship, equipping them with specialized skills that boost their confidence in their abilities. We are proud of what the participants in the three cohorts this year have achieved, and we look forward to continuing to enhance the program’s impact and build on its accomplishments.”

For his part, Hashim Bahbahani, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of CODED Academy, stated: “The Academy X program continues to provide unique opportunities for Kuwaiti girls to develop their digital skills, explore innovation horizons, and engage in practical experiences that mirror the realities of the job market. Our ongoing partnership with Talabat has helped strengthen their connection with the technology sector and apply their acquired skills in practice, beyond the classroom.”

Speaking about her experience, a participant in the Academy X program said: “Participating in the program gave me the opportunity to explore the worlds of technology and entrepreneurship, and to acquire new skills that I look forward to further developing and building upon in the future. During the program, I learned how to leverage artificial intelligence in app development and designing impactful marketing campaigns, and I was able to apply what I learned practically by innovating an app that uses AI to calculate the micronutrient content of foods. My benefits from this experience extended beyond acquiring technical skills; it also helped me discover my interests and future aspirations, and form a clearer vision of the career path I wish to pursue.”

Over the past three years of sponsoring the Academy X program, Talabat has been committed to enriching participants’ experiences through direct engagement and offering diverse activities and experiences. During this period, the program attracted more than 1,600 participants, who developed over 600 projects and gained practical experience in various fields, including health, beauty, food, art, education, and more.

The company’s contributions to the program varied, encompassing the organization of specialized workshops and expert-led sessions, as well as providing mentoring and guidance, alongside launching a dedicated competition within the program. These initiatives provided participants with greater opportunities to develop their skills and enhance their practical experience. Among the projects developed by the participating teams were: a digital marketing campaign leveraging artificial intelligence for local businesses, which included creating social media content, automated publishing schedules, promotional visual materials, and analysis of target audience performance; a presentation of a technology-based startup addressing everyday consumer challenges, featuring a business model and a product prototype; an interactive prototype for user interface and user experience (UI/UX) design of an e-commerce application aimed at improving the food ordering and retail product purchasing experience; and a digital financial literacy tool developed in collaboration with partners from the banking sector, incorporating features for budgeting, savings tracking, cybersecurity awareness, and fraud prevention.

The 2026 training curriculum included a specialized session on the AI tool “Claude,” where participants learned how to craft prompts and instructions to effectively develop practical applications, alongside exploring the potential of AI in various fields such as marketing, business development, and digital innovation. Additionally, Talabat organized a special session within the program, hosting marketing expert Inas Abdulaziz, CEO and Co-Founder of Dotspace, who shared her professional expertise and marketing experience. The session provided participants with insights into leveraging AI tools to develop innovative marketing campaigns, craft effective prompts, and transform creative ideas into impactful, actionable marketing strategies.