Beijing: Hamdan Centre for Giftedness and Innovation, part of Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, 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 2026.
According to Emirates News Agency, this result marks the highest placing achieved by an Emirati team in international FIRST LEGO League competitions and is the first time a UAE team has finished among the top three in the Champion's Award. The award reflects a team's overall performance across the competition's key areas, including Innovation Project, Robot Design, Robot Performance, and Core Values.
Dr Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, expressed pride in the students' accomplishments. He noted that securing second place in the Champion's Award demonstrates a high level of knowledge, skills, and disciplined preparation. Dr Al Suwaidi emphasized that this achievement showcases the students' ability to compete with leading international teams when provided with a nurturing educational environment.
Dr Khalifa Al Suwaidi further explained that the accomplishment is a result of an integrated development pathway beginning with talent identification and extending through training, preparation, and participation in competitions. It underscores the support provided to Emirati talent and the opportunities available to help students develop their capabilities and achieve strong international results.
The team's journey began at the local level, where they won the Dubai FIRST LEGO League competition and were crowned UAE champions for the 2025-2026 season, earning the opportunity to represent their country in Beijing. Prior to the international championship, the team underwent a specialised preparation programme at Hamdan Centre for Giftedness and Innovation, focusing on robot design and programming, engineering solutions, and presentation skills.
The FIRST LEGO League Asia Open Championship 2026 took place at Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Organised by the FIRST LEGO League Greater China Committee in cooperation with the Huairou District Government in Beijing, the event was supervised by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism and LEGO Education.
FIRST LEGO League is known for combining hands-on learning with robotics, programming, research, and innovation. Participants work in teams to develop solutions to real-world challenges, design and programme robots, and present their projects, fostering skills in problem-solving, engineering thinking, creativity, and teamwork.
This achievement reflects the efforts of Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences to identify and nurture gifted students, connecting talent development programmes with competitive opportunities to enhance students' capabilities in scientific and technological fields.