KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • ATRC announces the second A2RL STEM Competition, held during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week. 
  • 140 students from all seven emirates will compete using 1/18th-scale AWS DeepRacer cars. 
  • Training runs through October with online modules, then hands-on sessions in early November. 
  • Finals take place on 15 November 2025 at ATRC HQ, Yas Island. 
  • The programme launched in 2024; Heriot-Watt won the inaugural edition. 

ATRC is bringing back the A2RL STEM Competition for its second year, slotting it into Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week. It’s a nationwide challenge that blends coding, AI and robotics with real track action using AWS DeepRacer cars. A total of 140 students from schools and universities across the UAE will train through October and race on 15 November at Yas Island.   

What’s new and who’s in

This edition scales up to full nationwide coverage, with teams from all seven emirates, plus Al Ain and Al Dhafra representation. It keeps the two-league format for high schools and universities with 22 teams in total. Each team has five to seven students.

  • 140 students total: 72 high school, 68 university
  • 22 teams across both leagues
  • Coverage across all seven emirates, including Al Ain and Al Dhafra
  • Teams sized five to seven studentsThe broader mix shows the push for access to STEM across public and private education. It also sets a clear pipeline from school to university level within the same competition structure.   

The learning journey

Students start with theory, then move to practice. October is for online courses and simulation; early November is for in-person drives with the cars.

  • Online modules: Cloud Foundations, Python, machine learning
  • Simulation training before track time
  • Hands-on sessions with AWS DeepRacer vehicles in Abu DhabiThe flow mirrors how engineers work in the real world: build models, test in simulation, then validate on hardware. It’s a compact path that takes students from code editors to racing lines in a few weeks. 

Race day format and schedule

The finale is set for 15 November 2025 at ATRC HQ on Yas Island. Students will tackle different race modes to test speed and decision-making.

  • Time trials for raw pace
  • Object avoidance runs
  • Head-to-bot challengesThis mix forces teams to balance lap time with reliability and safe path planning. It’s not just who’s fastest; it’s who writes the best behaviour when things go wrong. 

Hardware and platforms

The cars are 1/18th-scale AWS DeepRacer models. They run models trained on reinforcement learning, so tuning policy settings matters as much as line choice.

  • 1/18th-scale autonomous vehicles
  • Uses AWS DeepRacer ecosystem
  • Simulation to track pipelineThis setup keeps costs sane while teaching robotics, perception, and control in a tidy package students can iterate on fast. 

Who’s representing the UAE

The school list includes well-known names from Abu Dhabi and beyond, with two extra teams nominated via national scholarship offices. On the university side, the roster spans federal, public and private institutions.

  • Schools: Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, Sabis/ISC, ADNOC Schools, Applied Technology High School, ADVETI, and more
  • Universities: Ajman University, Abu Dhabi Polytechnic, NYU Abu Dhabi, Khalifa University, UAEU, AUS, Zayed University, Heriot-Watt Dubai, Fujairah UniversityThe depth of this field matters. It brings different curricula and coding styles to the same task, which usually leads to smarter race strategies by finals day.   

Why ATRC is doing this

ATRC frames the competition as a bridge from classroom theory to real innovation. The stated goal is a stronger R&D talent pipeline for Abu Dhabi in the “intelligence age.”

  • Moves students from theory to application
  • Builds confidence on real hardware
  • Supports Abu Dhabi’s R&D prioritiesThat positioning underlines why this sits inside Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week. It’s not just a race day stunt; it’s part of a longer plan for skills and mobility tech in the UAE.   

Context: how it started

The A2RL STEM Competition launched in 2024 and has already produced results. The first year featured a smaller field, with Heriot-Watt taking the win.

  • Launch year: 2024
  • Winner: Heriot-Watt University
  • Mix of schools, universities and robotics organisationsA short history, but useful. It shows progression, repeatability, and a clear benchmark for new teams. 

What is the A2RL STEM Competition?

A nationwide student challenge in autonomous racing held during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week, run on AWS DeepRacer cars. 

How many students are taking part in 2025?

140 students from across the UAE, split between high school and university leagues. 

When and where is the final?

15 November 2025 at ATRC Headquarters, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. 

What training do students get?

Online modules in October covering Cloud Foundations, Python and machine learning, plus hands-on DeepRacer sessions in early November. 

Which schools and universities are involved?

Schools such as Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, Sabis/ISC, ADNOC Schools, ADVETI and more; universities include Ajman University, NYU Abu Dhabi, Khalifa University, UAEU, AUS, Zayed University, Heriot-Watt Dubai and Fujairah University.