CodeStacker: Rihal’s Ramadan Tech Challenge Fueling Omani Innovation
Every year during the holy month of Ramadan, Rihal launches an internal initiative that blends purpose, innovation, and local talent development in Oman. It’s called CodeStacker: a one-of-a-kind challenge designed to empower Omani professionals, spark ambitious ideas, and shape the future of tech leadership from within.
What Is CodeStacker?
CodeStacker is Rihal’s annual Ramadan challenge, where employees from various departments come together to:
- Build working prototypes for real-world tech solutions
- Collaborate across functions and disciplines
- Explore new ideas that could have a meaningful impact on Oman’s digital ecosystem
Although it started out as a competition, it’sgrown to become a cultural tradition that brings together innovation and purpose during one of the most reflective times of the year.
Why It Matters for Oman
As a proudly Omani company, with a 89% Omanization rate, Rihal is deeply invested in building homegrown capabilities. CodeStacker is one way we:
- Provide hands-on opportunities for employees to grow and lead
- Encourage the development of tools that support Omani businesses and government sectors
- Align with the national vision of fostering a sustainable and digital-ready economy
By creating space for internal experimentation, CodeStacker helps turn raw ideas into future-ready solutions tailored to Oman’s needs.
From Pitch to Prototype
Each year, participating teams go through a full-cycle experience:
- Brainstorming real-world problems worth solving
- Designing a working prototype
- Presenting their idea to a panel of internal judges
Some projects are bold experiments. Others evolve into full-fledged platforms or tools that serve our clients and community. That’s the beauty of CodeStacker, as it fuels innovation from the ground up.
Designed for Growth
What makes CodeStacker powerful is that it’s open to everyone, not just developers. Designers, analysts, project managers, and other team members all contribute in meaningful ways. This creates:
- A culture of cross-functional collaboration
- Growth in technical and creative confidence
- A shared sense of pride in building something valuable
It’san initiativethat grows minds, fuels ambition, and nurtures leadership, right here in Oman.
Tech with Local Impact
Rihal encourages participants to focus on ideas that reflect our Omani environment and serve real local needs. Many CodeStacker projects center on:
- Data visualization or management challenges in Oman
- Automating repetitive processes for local industries
- Building tools that empower small businesses or public sector workflows
This local-first thinking ensures our solutions are not only innovative, but relevant and impactful.
CodeStacker’s Strategic Impact at Rihal
Since its launch, CodeStacker has delivered real, measurable outcomes that benefit both the company and Oman’s tech landscape:
- Proven Talent Pipeline: Over 10 past winners have seamlessly transitioned into full-time roles at Rihal.
- Massive Engagement: With 700+ participants across four seasons, the challenge has built a thriving internal community of innovators.
- Brand Elevation:CodeStacker positions Rihal as a leading hub for tech talent in Oman, reinforcing our commitment to innovation and long-term talent development.
- Scouting the Best: The challenge acts as a powerful tool to identify, assess, and recruit top-tier young professionals across tech disciplines.
All in All, Innovation Begins Within
At Rihal, we believe that true innovation starts by empowering the people closest to the problems. CodeStacker is more than a yearly challenge, it’s a mindset. One that inspires our team to lead, build, and think boldly.
As we look ahead, CodeStacker remains a cornerstone of how we support Omani tech talent, encourage purpose-driven creativity, and invest in building the future, from right here, inside our own walls.