His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the opening ceremony of the 8th edition of RoboCup Asia-Pacific (RCAP 2025), organized by Khalifa University of Science and Technology. The event is part of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week and is being hosted for the first time in the MENA region under the theme "Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for a Sustainable Future."
RCAP 2025 features more than 170 teams and over 700 participants, including 22 teams from Singapore, 18 from Egypt, 18 from Russia, 10 from China, and 12 teams from the UAE. His Highness toured several competition areas and reviewed cutting-edge robotics projects showcased by student teams from various countries.
Sheikh Zayed emphasized that investing in artificial intelligence, robotics technologies, and autonomous intelligent systems will serve as a fundamental pillar in the journey of future development. He noted that nurturing young talent and promoting research and development contributes to strengthening Abu Dhabi's position as a global platform for supporting the innovation ecosystem and a destination for attracting future industrial sectors, in alignment with the emirate's vision of building a knowledge-based economy driven by advanced science and technology.
RCAP 2025 includes eight main competitions and 15 sub-challenges, covering Soccer, OnStage, and Rescue leagues. RoboCup Soccer features four challenges: Standard Platform, Humanoid, Simulation 2D, and RoboCupJunior leagues. The project-oriented educational initiative RoboCupJunior sponsors local, regional, and international robotic events for young students.
His Excellency Professor Ebrahim Al Hajri, President of Khalifa University, said: "Hosting RCAP 2025 in Abu Dhabi marks a major milestone for Khalifa University, the UAE, and the regional robotics ecosystem, highlighting Abu Dhabi's role as a regional centre for advanced robotics and AI research. This aligns with Abu Dhabi's vision to become a leader in technology and innovation, and the UAE Vision 2031, showcasing how AI and robotics can transform industries." He added that the event will generate more interest in STEM-related subject areas for students while creating fresh talent suitable for future leadership, and help attract top global talent in AI and robotics to Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
Alya Al Hosani, Executive Director of Community Affairs at Mubadala Investment Company, said: "Mubadala is proud to support RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2025, a distinguished platform that underscores the UAE's leadership in innovation and technology. Our commitment to advancing youth engagement in STEM education and fostering innovation in fields such as robotics reflects our dedication to nurturing the next generation of talent that will continue to advance the UAE as a knowledge-based economy."
Dr. Hamad Karaki, General Chairman of RCAP 2025, noted: "The number of participating teams and the diversity of competitions strongly reflect Abu Dhabi's ability to attract the top-tier technology experts to compete through the latest AI technologies." RCAP 2025 aims to strengthen and nurture the UAE's robotics ecosystem following initiatives to create an AI-powered government, which includes 100% digitization of processes and the deployment of more than 200 AI solutions. Such efforts have positioned the UAE as a global magnet for top technology leaders participating in RCAP 2025.
