EGA Aluminium Design And Innovation Challenge Winners Recognised By Ministry Of Education

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced the winners of its Aluminium Design and Innovation Challenge, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. This initiative aims to spark interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) among school students. The event took place at EGA’s Al Taweelah site in Abu Dhabi, where Omar Al Dhaheri and Khalid Essa Buhumaid recognised the winning teams.

The challenge is a part of EGA’s Engineer the Future programme, which encourages students to pursue STEM careers. This academic year, over 6,950 students have participated, including more than 4,000 female students. EGA employs over 1,500 STEM professionals, with more than 500 being UAE nationals.

The design challenge invites students from grades nine to 12 to creatively solve real-life problems using aluminium. Over four weeks, participants received mentorship from EGA engineers and access to essential resources. This year saw participation from over 300 teams across the UAE, up from 163 in 2024.

Of these teams, 63 were shortlisted to design innovative projects using aluminium in categories like architecture, product design, sustainable mobility, and space solutions. The first-place winners included Fatima Al Zahraa School for architecture and Nahel School for product design.

Dubai National School – Barsha won in the space solutions category while Jameela Buheired School excelled in sustainable mobility. Al Dhaheri praised the partnership with EGA for enhancing practical skills vital for national development. He highlighted the Ministry's efforts to create opportunities for students to apply their knowledge through impactful projects.

Khalid Essa Buhumaid emphasised the importance of STEM fields for achieving Operation 300bn, the UAE's industrial growth strategy. He stated that EGA aims to nurture future industry leaders through initiatives like Engineer the Future. He expressed satisfaction with the high-quality aluminium applications presented by young talents.

Empowering Female Students Through Mentorship

This year also marked the launch of Ershaad by EGA, a mentorship programme targeting female UAE students. It aims to prepare young women for industrial careers by enhancing critical skills through guidance from EGA experts.

The programme reflects EGA's commitment to fostering a skilled workforce capable of driving innovation and excellence in various sectors crucial to national progress.

With inputs from WAM