Sixteen teams from nine ME&CA countries competed across Innovation and Practice tracks at the Huawei ICT Competition, securing 16 prizes overall
The 9th Huawei ICT Competition Global Final 2024-2025 concluded in Shenzhen with a glittering closing ceremony and awards presentation. Sixteen teams from nine ME&CA (Middle East and Central Asia) countries – Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon competed across the Innovation Track and Practice Track, securing four first prizes, four second prizes, and eight third prizes.
The 16 teams advanced from a highly competitive regional selection process that attracted over 31,000 university students and faculty from more than 640 institutions across 19 countries in ME&CA (Middle East and Central Asia). The 62 students and faculty who formed the 16 qualifying teams demonstrated strong technical skills and innovation capabilities at the Global Final.
The Comsats University Islamabad team from Pakistan won first prize in the Innovation Track. The Qatar University of Doha for Science and Technology team won second with their “BeMySense” project, a real-time cross-platform communication assistance system that uses AI, computer vision, and natural language processing to enable sign language and voice interaction. The third prize went to team Volta from Uzbekistan and NABEEH from Saudi Arabia.
“We sincerely thank Huawei for providing us with such a valuable learning and competition platform,” said a member of the Qatar team. “Our experience in China was incredibly rewarding, especially the opportunity to interact with outstanding teams worldwide. Their ideas showcased how technology creates value for society.”
The all-female NABEEH team from Saudi Arabia also took home the “Women in Tech” award. Huawei also presented Green Development Awards to recognize teams addressing environmental challenges through technology solutions.
In the Practice Track, ME&CA teams dominated the Network category, with first prizes awarded to teams from Bahrain, Kazakhstan, and Jordan, while the Pakistan team emerged in third place. In the Computing Track, the teams from Kazakhstan and Pakistan took the second prize, while the Lebanese and Iraqi teams attained third place. Meanwhile, the team from Lebanon took second place in the global finals of the Cloud Track, with representatives from Pakistan, Iraq, and Kazakhstan claiming third.
International Engagement and Educational Forums
The competition drew international attention, with diplomatic representatives in attendance to present awards to their national teams. The Counselor from the Embassy of Kazakhstan in China and officials from the Saudi Consulate General in Guangzhou presented awards to the winning teams from their respective countries.
A roundtable forum moderated by Tavsultanova Tamara, Executive Manager of Huawei’s ICT Talent Partner Development Department, brought together participants from government, industry, and academia to discuss “Embracing the Future: Educational Evolution Trends and Innovation.” The panel included Dr. Omar Alzubi, Dean of Al Balqa Applied University in Jordan.
Additionally, the 2025 Huawei Most Valuable Instructor Forum, held on May 21, gathered nearly 200 ICT Academy teachers and industry experts to share teaching practices and explore school-enterprise cooperation models. Mardin Anwer, Associate Professor at the College of Engineering, Salahaddin University, presented her teaching achievements following a global selection process. Eighteen instructors from 10 countries received Most Valuable Instructor Awards.
Aigul Izdenova, AI-Sana Project Manager at the Science Foundation of the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan, delivered a keynote on how industry standardization can drive educational advancement and how the “AI-Sana” program accelerates AI startup development and education reform.
Dr. Mohamed Madkour, Vice President of ICT Strategy & Marketing, Huawei Middle East and Central Asia, said, “This competition demonstrates how students can harness emerging technologies to address society’s most pressing challenges. Through mastering cloud computing, AI, and big data analytics, participants are not just learning technical skills but developing solutions that can transform industries from healthcare to education while keeping sustainability and digital inclusion at the forefront of innovation.”
During the event, Huawei hosted an AI Accelerating Education Transformation Summit and announced the AI Capability of the Huawei ICT Academy Intelligent Platform. Participants also visited Huawei’s Ox Horn Campus and Exhibition Hall to learn about the company’s research and ICT practices.
Since its launch in 2015, the Huawei ICT Competition has engaged over 960,000 students and faculty members from more than 2,000 institutions across 100 countries and regions. The competition is included in China’s national list of university competitions and serves as a key partner program of UNESCO’s Global Skills Academy. The competition addresses the growing demand for skilled professionals in AI, big data, and cybersecurity through multiple tracks, industry-academia collaboration, and curriculum development initiatives.
