The 2026 edition of the UAE's Unified Robotics League has kicked off with 279 teams and more than 1,000 students from 254 schools across the country. A defining feature of the competition is that each team must include at least 50 per cent students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a rule that has been part of the programme since it began.
Organised by Special Olympics UAE with Adnoc as strategic partner, the league challenges students to design robots, write code and solve technical problems. Teams are judged on technical performance, innovation, collaboration, presentation and communication skills.
This year's competition unfolds in stages across several emirates. Al Ain hosts 54 teams on Monday and Tuesday, followed by 18 teams in Al Dhafra on Wednesday. Dubai will host 80 teams on November 1 and 2, Sharjah 25 teams on November 3, and Abu Dhabi will close out the season from November 4 to 6 with the largest group of 102 teams.
The programme has grown steadily since launching with just 142 teams in the 2023-24 season, rising to 202 teams and more than 1,600 participants in 2025. This year's 279 teams mark a new participation record, which organisers say reflects the UAE's growing success in integrating students with special needs into technology and robotics education.