Hamdan Centre for Giftedness and Innovation has secured second place in the Champion’s Award at the FIRST LEGO League Asia Open Championship 2026, held in Beijing from 13th to 16th August.
The achievement marks the highest position secured by an Emirati team in an international FIRST LEGO League competition and the first time a UAE team has finished among the top three in the Champion’s Award.
Part of the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, the team was evaluated across several areas, including its Innovation Project, Robot Design, Robot Performance and Core Values.
Dr Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of the Foundation, said the achievement demonstrates the students’ knowledge, skills and preparation, as well as their ability to compete with leading international teams. He also highlighted the importance of identifying talented students and supporting them through specialised training and opportunities to compete locally and internationally.
The team’s journey began by winning the Dubai FIRST LEGO League competition before becoming UAE champion for the 2025–2026 season. This secured its place at the international championship in Beijing.
Before the competition, students completed a specialised preparation programme covering robot design and programming using LEGO Education, engineering solutions, challenge analysis and the development of their Innovation Project. Training also focused on critical thinking, teamwork, communication and presentation skills.
FIRST LEGO League combines robotics, programming, research and innovation to encourage students to develop solutions to real-world problems. Participants design and programme robots while presenting their projects to judging panels.
The achievement supports the Foundation’s wider efforts to nurture gifted Emirati students and provide them with opportunities to strengthen their skills in science, technology, engineering and innovation.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
