KAU Students Rank Seventh Globally at MATE ROV Championship in Canada

The Red Sea Rovers team from King Abdulaziz University ranked seventh globally in the finals
of the MATE ROV World Championship for underwater robotics, competing in the PIONEER
category. The team scored 374.67 points in the official results of the championship, which
was hosted by Memorial University in Canada with the participation of 35 universities from
around the world.

Developing an advanced remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the team designed the project
based on an integrated engineering vision. The ROV was built as a platform capable of diving
and performing multiple tasks in complex aquatic environments and challenging operating
conditions. Its design relied on precise integration between control systems, sensors and
execution tools, ensuring high stability and strong maneuverability while carrying out
exploratory and engineering missions underwater.

Work on the project took two years through the Manufacturing Club at the Deanship of
Student Affairs. Operating at the university level and serving students from various
disciplines, the club provided a stimulating environment to embrace ambitious ideas, refine
practical skills and transform scientific passion into an applied project capable of competing
in one of the world’s leading international competitions specializing in marine robotics.

The student team included Ammar Al-Ahmadi, Abdulsalam Al-Faifi, Youssef Baabdullah,
Abdullah bin Salman, Imtinan Al-Halawani, Ruba Al-Nashiri, Raghad Al-Saadi, Rahaf Al-
Adwani and Manar Bintaleb.

Their participation reflected an advanced level of technical and professional competence.
The championship is not limited to the field performance of the ROV; it also evaluates
practical presentation, engineering presentation, technical documentation, marketing
presentation, collaborative mission, specification sheet, corporate responsibility and safety
standards. This makes it a comprehensive engineering experience that simulates
professional work environments in the marine and technology sectors.

The project was sponsored by King Abdulaziz University, the Scientific Endowment and
Johnson Controls Arabia, enabling the team to continue developing the project and
represent the university at the international event. This support reflects the importance of
partnerships between academic institutions and sponsoring entities in nurturing young
talent and transforming their initiatives into global achievements. The accomplishment also
highlights the quality of educational outcomes and the ability of KAU students to turn
ambition into a global achievement worthy of the university’s standing.

The MATE ROV Championship is one of the most prominent international competitions for
underwater robotics. Launched in 1997 under the MATE Center, it aims to enable students
to apply their scientific and engineering knowledge to address real-world challenges,
offering a platform that combines academic knowledge, practical application, teamwork and
professional communication.

The 2026 edition was particularly distinctive, as Canada hosted the championship in
specialized research facilities, including current, wave and ice tanks, which simulated harsh
marine conditions. Competition tasks focused on advanced challenges such as seafloor
mapping, documenting coral habitats, monitoring ecosystems, simulating the connection of
wind energy to oil platforms and operating technologies under ice.