Abu Dhabi: Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) today announced the winners of the EGA Aluminium Design and Innovation Challenge, conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. The initiative is designed to spark students' interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
According to Emirates News Agency, the winners were honoured by Omar Al Dhaheri, Assistant Undersecretary for the School Operations Sector in Abu Dhabi at the Ministry of Education, and Khalid Essa Buhumaid, Senior Vice President of Government Relations at EGA. The ceremony took place at EGA's Al Taweelah facility in Abu Dhabi.
The EGA Aluminium Design and Innovation Challenge is part of the "Engineer the Future" programme by EGA, which aims to stimulate students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This academic year, over 6,950 students, including more than 4,000 female students, have participated in the programme.
EGA employs over 1,500 professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including more than 500 UAE nationals. The design challenge targets students from grades nine to 12, encouraging them to creatively tackle real-world challenges using aluminium.
More than 300 teams from schools across the UAE participated in this year's challenge, up from 163 teams in 2024. The 63 shortlisted teams were invited to design innovative projects using aluminium in categories such as architecture, product design, sustainable mobility, and space solutions.
This year's winners include Fatima Al Zahraa School for architecture, Nahel School for product design, Dubai National School - Barsha for space solutions, and Jameela Buheired School for sustainable mobility.
Al Dhaheri commended the winners and highlighted the partnership with EGA as pivotal in developing students' skills to meet the UAE's goals in vital sectors. He emphasized the Ministry of Education's commitment to creating opportunities for students to apply their knowledge through real-world projects.
Khalid Essa Buhumaid noted the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for the UAE's industrial strategy, Operation 300bn. He expressed satisfaction with the high-quality aluminium applications presented by the students, who represent the future of the UAE's industrial workforce.
Earlier this year, EGA launched "Ershaad," a mentorship programme for female UAE students, aiming to prepare them for careers in the industry by enhancing critical skills through mentoring by EGA experts.