ATLAB announces winners of ‘FIRST® LEGO® League,' recognising UAE's young innovators in robotics - Middle East Business News and Information
Champion's Winner Award – Team ACE from Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Science to compete in international-level competition at the World Festival – Houston, Texas.
The FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) 2024-25 season, hosted by ATLAB, a subsidiary of the Centena Group, in collaboration with FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and LEGO® Education, announced the national winners from across the UAE during the grand finale of the 'CHALLENGE' category on February 9, 2025. The awards recognised young innovators from 42 participating teams for their exceptional creativity, problem-solving skills and teamwork in robotics and STEM.
The Champion's Winner Award was presented to Team 'ACE' from Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, with Team 'PELAGIC PIONEERS' from DPS (Delhi Private School) – Sharjah as first runner-up and Team 'METAL MECH' from Gems International School – Al Khail as the second runner-up.
In the Robot Performance category, Team 'SEATROTTERS' from Gems Millenium School – Sharjah emerged as winners, followed by Team 'ACE' from Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences first runner-up and Team 'MARINE X' from Gems Millenium School Sharjah as the second runner-up.
The winners for Robot Design were Team 'AQUA RAPTORZ' from DPS – Sharjah, with Team 'SEATROTTERS' from Gems Millenium School – Sharjah as first runner-up and Team 'CODEBREAKERS 2.0' from Emerging Stars Institute as second runner-up.
The Innovation Project award went to Team 'MAWJ MYSTERY MASTERS (M CUBE)' from DPS – Sharjah , with Team 'HYDRATECH' from Mayoor Pvt School as first runner-up and Team 'NMS HYDROBOTS' from Gems New Millennium School – Al Khail as second runner-up.
Finally, the Core Values award was won by Team 'AIS_TECHTITANS' from Abu Dhabi International Pvt School, while Team 'ABYSSAL EXPLORERS' from Abu Dhabi Indian School secured first runner-up position and 'DIAEH TEAM 2' from Dubai International Academy – Emirates Hill secured the second runner-up position.
This year, the competition included the Motivate Award, which was presented to Team 'REEF RANGERS' from Diyar Private Academy Early Years and Girl's Campus Dibba, Fujairah in recognition of their exceptional team spirit, enthusiasm, and commitment to the core values of the FIRST® LEGO® League.
Charbel Najjar, the coach of Team ACE from Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences said: 'The competition provided us with a dynamic platform to exhibit our innovative concepts and gain valuable experience in the realms of problem-solving, teamwork, and STEM-related skills. We aim to carry this experience forward and continue to participate in similar competitions.'
The winners in the CHALLENGE category were assessed on the basis of their robot design, performance, innovation projects and core values. Team ACE that received the Champion's Winner Award are qualified for the international-level competition, which is held in the USA at the World Festival – Houston, Texas. Apart from this, selected teams will compete in the international competitions across the world; AIS_TECHTITANS from Abu Dhabi International Pvt School in Greece, SEATROTTERS from Gems Millenium School – Sharjah in South Africa, AQUA RAPTORZ from DPS – Sharjah and METAL MECH from Gems International School- Al Khail in Australia and PELAGIC PIONEERS from DPS – Sharjah in USA.
Nilesh Korgaonkar, CEO of ATLAB said: 'The exceptional projects created by these innovators may not be directly implemented, but they might inspire real-world solutions at an international level or adopted by organisations or countries associated with FIRST® . This competition is a platform for students to showcase their creativity, gain valuable experience and contribute to solving real-world problems. We are immensely proud of all the participants and winners who seized this opportunity. To ensure high-quality evaluation, we meticulously selected judges with expertise in STEM education and robotics.'
The teams were judged by esteemed professionals from different backgrounds, representing institutions, universities and schools across the UAE from both governmental and private organisations. This year's grand finale was further enriched by the presence of special guest Rasna Hussain, a CCDI Teacher and Trainer at the UAE's Ministry of Education, whose expertise spans Robotics, STEM Training, artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning.
In line with the UAE's vision to foster a knowledge-based economy and empower future generations, initiatives like the FIRST® LEGO® League play a vital role in nurturing young innovators. By providing a platform to showcase creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork, ATLAB reaffirms its commitment to supporting the nation's aspirations for innovation and excellence in STEM fields.
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