DUBAI, 20th June, 2026 (WAM) — Under the theme “Generative AI Applications in Education,” the SAFE AI Cup 2026 concluded successfully.
The leading national competition, organised as part of the Safe AI for Society initiative, culminated in a grand closing ceremony and innovation exhibition hosted by the University of Dubai.
The competition was jointly organised by the Emirates Safer Internet Society (eSafe), the Robotics and Automation Society (RAS), and the Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GIE) company. It was held in strategic partnership with the Cyber Security Council and Cyber E71, with the support of the Ministry of Education, golden sponsorship from DP World, and main sponsorship from The Walt Disney Company.
The ceremony witnessed a high-level attendance, led by Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government, and Amna Al Saleh, Assistant Undersecretary for the Curriculum and Evaluation Sector at the Ministry of Education, alongside Dr. Eesa Al Bastaki, President of the University of Dubai, Dr. Abdulla Mohamed Al Meyhas, Chairman of the Emirates Safer Internet Society (eSafe), Dr. Saeed Aldhaheri, President of the Robotics & Automation Society (RAS), Ibrahim Al Najjar, Senior Vice President of Information Technology at DP World, and a host of dignitaries and representatives from governmental and academic entities.
The 2026 edition recorded unprecedented numbers, exceeding the initial target by more than threefold (+313%). The competition attracted 1,565 participants (aged 11 to 25), forming 466 teams representing 296 educational institutions from across all emirates. This year’s competition was also distinguished by achieving near gender parity, with a female participation rate of 49% (766 female students), reflecting tangible progress in promoting diversity and inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Dr Eesa Mohammed Al Bastaki, President of the University of Dubai, welcomed the guests and student innovators to the university campus. He emphasised the importance of empowering youth with innovation and creativity tools, as well as AI skills, noting that artificial intelligence is merely a tool that supports us, aids our thinking, and helps deliver outstanding innovations that contribute to community development.
He pointed out that the competition achieved its goals through this remarkable participation, its role in preparing future leaders, and by merging innovation, entrepreneurship, and the safe use of AI, thereby enabling youth to transform their ideas into responsible solutions that genuinely serve the community.
In his statement on this occasion, Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti praised the students’ creations, saying, “What we witnessed today reflects the high readiness of the UAE’s youth to adopt advanced technology and adapt it to serve the community in a safe and ethical manner. This aligns perfectly with the visionary leadership’s vision of building a robust cyber ecosystem that keeps pace with AI advancements.”
In this context, the organising entities emphasised the importance of institutional synergy in achieving success. Dr. Abdulla Mohamed Al Mehyas, Chairman of the Emirates Safer Internet Society (eSafe), noted that “the competition reflects our firm commitment to instilling the principles of digital safety and technological ethics in the younger generation, ensuring the responsible and conscious use of AI applications.”
He extended special thanks to Sanjana Bhardwaj, Founder of the SAFE AI Cup, and Eng. Omar Mohamed, Manager of the Robotics and Automation Society.
Meanwhile, the Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GIE) company highlighted the competition’s entrepreneurial dimension.
The event featured an exhibition showcasing the top 27 teams that reached the final stage, where students presented live demonstrations of their prototypes focused on developing safe and ethical solutions.
The ceremony concluded with the honouring of the winning teams and the distribution of awards, amid widespread praise for the exceptional organisation and the advanced technical level demonstrated by the UAE’s future generation of tech pioneers. As the curtain falls on the SAFE AI Cup 2026, the final message was clear: the future of AI and robotics in the UAE carries a human and innovative character, led by bright young minds determined to develop smart, applicable solutions on the ground.
Source: Emirates News Agency