2019 FIRST Global DXB Challenge

The ‘FIRST Global DXB Challenge’ in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence that serves to ignite a passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), is coming to Dubai this October. Each year, the event addresses one major challenge facing the planet and encourages young participants to solve the problem through teamwork and innovative thinking.

The UAE won the bid to host the First Global Challenge at the 7th World Government Summit in Dubai last February in the presence of Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, Chairman of the World Government Summit, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of the Dubai Future Foundation; and Rick Perry, US Secretary of Energy.

To be held for the first time in the region, the event will bring together more than 1,500 youth from over 191 countries. One of the largest events of its kind, the event aims to address the world’s most critical environmental issues such as wastage of water and energy, sustainability and pollution through a global robotics competition.

Previous editions have seen hundreds of student teams from around the world develop robots that help find solutions to challenges. The Washington DC 2017 event tackled the challenge of ‘Access to Clean Water’ while the Mexico City event in 2018 addressed ‘Sustainable Energy ‘. Both events drew widespread global interest.

Organised by the Dubai Future Foundation under the theme ‘Ocean Opportunities’, the FIRST Global Challenge focuses on developing robots to clean up the millions of tons of pollutants in the oceans produced mainly by factories, mismanaged sewage systems and marine activities, which adversely affect marine life and the environment.