Dubai's Team ORBIT makes history as first UAE squad to win FIRST Tech Challenge Premier Event

Dubai's Team ORBIT makes history as first UAE squad to win FIRST Tech Challenge Premier Event

Dubai-based Team ORBIT has etched its name in UAE robotics history by becoming the first team from the United Arab Emirates to win an international FIRST Tech Challenge Premier Event, claiming a historic double victory at the FTC İstanbul Premier Event held from June 26–28, 2026, at the Türkiye Athletics Federation Athletics Hall in İstanbul, Türkiye.

The achievement is particularly remarkable given that ORBIT is a rookie team formed just six months ago. Competing in the DECODE season against teams from 24 countries, ORBIT secured both the Valens Division Winning Alliance title and the Overall Event Winning Alliance championship, outperforming some of the world's most established robotics programmes.

Elite Competition on Global Stage

Premier Events represent capstone tournaments in the FIRST Tech Challenge calendar, designed specifically to celebrate top-performing teams and ranking among the most competitive gatherings in global robotics alongside the FIRST Championship. The FTC İstanbul Premier Event brought together elite squads that had advanced through national and regional championships worldwide.

The FIRST Tech Challenge, founded by inventor Dean Kamen and MIT Professor Woodie Flowers, is an international robotics competition for students in grades 7-12. Teams of up to 15 members design, build, programme and operate robots to compete in head-to-head challenges. The programme is supported by major technology and engineering organisations including Google, Amazon and NASA, offering participants access to over $80 million in college scholarships to universities and technical programmes.

Young Talent Delivers Under Pressure

Representing Team ORBIT at the global competition were Abhiram Krishna from Al Saad Indian School, Arav Bahuguna from Jumeirah College, Aaron Jain from Dubai International Academy Al Barsha, Amra Marikkar from The Apple International School, Aryan Goyal from Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills, Daniel Bource from Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou, Sai Murugappan from Gulf Modern Academy, Hriday Navin from GEMS Modern Academy, Omar Nabil Lahir from GEMS Modern Academy, Sana Kaushik from Pristine Private School Dubai, Aarav Dewan from Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills and Chanukya Teketi from Pearl Wisdom School Dubai.

After qualifying through the UAE National Championship, the team travelled to Türkiye and impressed judges and competitors alike with its engineering excellence, strategic gameplay and teamwork. ORBIT consistently delivered strong performances during both qualification and elimination rounds.

Growing STEM Ecosystem in the UAE

The victory reflects the UAE's expanding robotics education infrastructure. Earlier in 2026, approximately 3,134 students across 395 school teams participated in the FIRST LEGO League competition in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, demonstrating the country's commitment to STEM education. In November 2025, Team UAE won gold at the First Global Challenge in Panama, competing against 190 countries in what is sometimes called the Olympics of Robotics.

Banson Thomas, Chief Mentor of Team ORBIT, said the achievement marks a historic moment for both the team and the UAE robotics community. He expressed hope that the success would inspire more young people across the country to pursue robotics and innovation.

Ali Abdurahman, Head Coach of Team ORBIT, noted that the UAE has built a strong foundation for STEM education and innovation. He said the achievement demonstrates that UAE students can compete with the very best in the world.

The team captain reflected on the journey from idea to championship, highlighting the resilience, teamwork and commitment shown by team members over the past six months.

With Team ORBIT's breakthrough performance and the broader success of UAE robotics programmes, the country's students now have pathways to leading STEM institutions including MIT and Yale, along with mentorship opportunities from industry leaders. The 2026 FIRST Championship, which will bring together over 330 FIRST Tech Challenge teams competing across six divisions, represents the next level of competition for aspiring teams in the UAE's growing robotics ecosystem.