The James Dyson Award returns to the United Arab Emirates for its eighth consecutive year, with a newly announced judging panel representing a wide spectrum of local expertise in engineering, education, entrepreneurship, and media. The competition, renowned globally for spotlighting student-led design and engineering solutions, continues its mission to empower the next generation of problem solvers.
The 2025 UAE judging panel features four influential figures: Dr. Eng. Suaad Al Shamsi, the country’s first female aircraft engineer; Dr. Fadi Aloul, Dean of the College of Engineering at the American University of Sharjah; Anas Abbar, Co-Founder and CEO of 7awi Media Group; and Dana Alomar, Future Editor at The National. Together, they’ll evaluate submissions from aspiring inventors tackling real-world challenges through thoughtful, practical design.
The James Dyson Award invites university students and recent graduates to develop solutions to pressing global or everyday problems. The brief is simple but demanding: design something that solves a problem, functions better than current solutions, and shows clear evidence of engineering and design thinking. Entries must also demonstrate technical feasibility and potential for commercial application.
National winners from the UAE will receive a £5,000 prize and join the shortlist for global judging. From there, 20 projects are selected by Dyson engineers, with the final global winners chosen by Sir James Dyson himself. The global winner receives a £30,000 prize, while two additional global categories—Sustainability and Medical—also award £30,000 each.
This year’s UAE judges bring a strong mix of experience and insight. Dr. Suaad Al Shamsi, a trailblazer in Emirati aviation, returns to the panel with years of mentorship and technical acumen. Dr. Fadi Aloul contributes a robust background in cybersecurity, AI, and higher education, having led significant expansions in interdisciplinary programs and research at AUS. Anas Abbar offers an entrepreneurial lens, helping assess how well an idea can scale and resonate in the digital market. Dana Alomar, with a track record of exploring technological trends and future industries, will add a sharp, journalistic perspective to the review process.
The UAE edition has previously produced standout winners, including Eshara, a deep-learning-based sign language translation system, and FireOut, an environmentally-conscious wildfire control system. These projects exemplify how student innovations from the region can address global challenges and deliver social impact.
This year’s submission deadline was July 17, and the national winners will be announced on September 11. Entries will be judged on their ability to solve a genuine problem, originality of approach, technical soundness, and potential for real-world implementation.
The UAE remains the exclusive host for the Middle East edition of the James Dyson Award, and interest in the competition has grown steadily, with entries spanning health tech, sustainability, accessibility, and more.
For more information or to explore this year’s submissions, visit www.jamesdysonaward.org.
