​The National Finals of the FIRST Robotics League 2026 Competition Kickoff

The National Finals of the FIRST Robotics League 2026 competition kicked off today at the King Salman Science Oasis in Riyadh. The competition will continue for two days, with elite male and female students from the Kingdom participating, qualifying them for the world finals to be held in the United States of America as part of this annual international competition.

The competition features 124 students from 31 teams across 8 education departments, supervised by 31 trainers. Participants compete in three categories: Challenge (ages 9-16, 80 students on 20 teams), Exploration (ages 6-10, 44 students on 11 teams), and First Tech Challenge (ages 12-18), which includes the robot game, innovation project, robot design, and basic values.

Furthermore, this year's competition is titled “The Age of Discovery" and focuses on archaeology, employing modern technologies to explore the past. It aims to enhance the connection between theoretical learning and practical application through the design, construction, and programming of robots and to develop students' skills in research, innovation, creative thinking, and problem-solving in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEM), in addition to developing their life skills and raising their readiness for global competitions.

In line with these objectives, the Ministry of Education, through this competition, seeks to develop the capabilities of male and female students in the fields of programming and robotics, enhance 21st-century skills, integrate modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, into the educational process, and provide opportunities for students to contribute to building a future based on innovation and knowledge.​