NEWS
Bahrain’s Next Generation of Tech Pioneers Crowned at Huawei AI Innovation Challenge 2025–2026
Co-hosted by Huawei and the University of Bahrain, the challenge bridges the gap between academic theory and industry-shaping AI talent
Three top teams have been selected to represent Bahrain at the upcoming Huawei ICT Competition Regional Finals
Manama, Bahrain – January 18, 2026 – Huawei Bahrain, in collaboration with the University of Bahrain, has successfully concluded the Huawei AI Innovation Challenge 2025-2026, part of Huawei ICT Competition, the company’s global flagship program for cultivating ICT talent. Recognized by UNESCO’s Global Skills Academy as a key partner for fostering digital talent, this year’s challenge saw 30 students representing Bahrain’s leading universities compete to solve real-world problems using cutting-edge AI technologies.
The competition underscored Huawei’s “Everything as a Service” philosophy, encouraging participants to integrate AI, cloud computing, and IoT technologies. Platforms like ModelArts (a one-stop AI development tool) and MindSpore (a leading deep learning framework) enabled teams to prototype solutions for sectors such as healthcare, smart cities, and sustainable energy.
Co-hosted on the campus of the University of Bahrain, the challenge was designed to bridge the gap between academic theory and industry practice. Participants focused on developing innovative AI-driven solutions to address real-world scenarios, using Huawei’s MindSpore and ModelArts platforms to build and deploy their ideas.
Since its launch in 2015, the Huawei ICT Competition has expanded worldwide and is designated in China as a national university student competition. In Bahrain, the AI Innovation Challenge aligns with the Kingdom’s vision to build a knowledge-based economy and bridge the digital skills gap in line with Bahrain’s Vision 2030.
Harry Yu, CEO of Huawei Bahrain, highlighted the company’s long-term investment in local talent development: “In 2025 alone, Huawei trained over 1,000 professionals in Bahrain, with a pledge to upskill 3,000 more by 2030. Our goal is to create a thriving ICT ecosystem that positions Bahrain as a regional hub for digital transformation.”
Following a rigorous preliminary round, 10 teams representing the Kingdom’s leading academic institutions, including University of Bahrain, Bahrain Polytechnic, University of Technology Bahrain, Kingdom University, Ahlia University and Nasser Center for Science and Technology, advanced to the National Finals.
Dr. Fuad Mohammed Al-Ansari, President of University of Bahrain, emphasized the competition’s role in advancing Bahrain’s AI readiness: “This challenge exemplifies how academia and industry can collaborate to cultivate cutting-edge skills. By leveraging Huawei’s platforms, students are equipped to tackle global challenges and drive economic growth.”
Final pitches were evaluated by six executive expert judges panel consisting of Ms .Ebtehaj Mubarak Naser, Acting Chief of Innovation Development at IGA, Mr. Ali Sabt, Manager of Transmission & Datacom at stc Bahrain, Esra Alshammari, Head of Data Analytics & Corporate Performance at BNET, Dr. Abdelhameed Fawzy, Assistant Professor, School of ICT at Bahrain Polytechnic, Dr. Ali Ebrahim, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Engineering at University of Bahrain, and Hameed Jawahar, Director of Cloud & AI Solutions at Huawei Gulf North.
The top three winning teams who will go on to represent Bahrain at the Huawei ICT Competition Regional Finals are:
1st Prize: ResQ AI (Kingdom University)
Mentor: Dr. Marwah Assim Ayfan
Team: Sarah Mohamed Sharif, Fathima Nazira Mohamed Naseer, Riya Sharfraz
2nd Prize: Tanki (Bahrain Polytechnic)
Mentor: Dr Omar Alfayyad
Team: Noora Qasim, Maryam Khattar, Sara Bucheeri
3rd Prize: SmartHydro (University of Bahrain)
Mentor: Prof. Alauddin Alomary
Team: Ali Hussain Moosa, Husain Ismail Mohamed, Ebrahim Salah Alasfoor
Building on the success of the Huawei AI Innovation Challenge 2025–2026 and the broader Huawei ICT Competition 2025–2026, Huawei remains committed to deepening its partnerships with academic institutions and ecosystem partners, ensuring Bahrain’s young professionals are ready to lead in the intelligent era.
