UAE's National Science Festival Draws 4,700 Entries and Adds an Autonomous Driving Track

The festival, held under the patronage of Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler's Representative in Al Ain Region, will also be used to launch Path 2 A2RL, a student programme tied to the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League. According to the organisers, it will give students hands-on work in autonomous driving and embodied artificial intelligence through practical engineering challenges. A2RL is the autonomous car racing series run by ASPIRE, part of the ATRC.

The programme is one way the ATRC, which also oversees the Technology Innovation Institute, is trying to feed students into the country's research and industrial base. "Building an intelligence-driven economy requires more than investment in advanced technologies. It also demands sustained investment in developing talent and building the capabilities needed to drive innovation," said Faisal Abdulaziz Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs and Secretary-General of the ATRC.

The largest competition, the Emirates Young Scientist Competition, received 2,651 registrations from students in Grades 5 to 12. One hundred research projects have reached the final, in four categories: technology; biological and environmental sciences; chemical, physical and mathematical sciences; and behavioural and social sciences. The competition is meant to prepare students for international contests including the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.

The Advanced Technology Pioneers competition, for university students and recent graduates, drew 707 applications. Of these, 210 participants in 58 teams were selected to build prototypes and simulations addressing problems set by three organisations: the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, defence group EDGE and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company. The Junior Innovators Challenge, for children from kindergarten to Grade 4, received 1,402 entries.

Alongside the competitions, the festival will run a scientific conference and a family programme with 80 sessions and workshops covering robotics, coding, renewable energy and the arts, as well as interactive AI exhibits. Emirati entrepreneurs will also be able to show projects to visitors. Minister of Education Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri said closer ties between schools and research institutions help students see how scientific research contributes to national development.

The festival forms part of UAE Innovates, the national innovation programme held each November. Each age group in the Junior Innovators Challenge will compete on its own dedicated day during the four-day event.