ADEK: Over 1 million visitors attend the Abu Dhabi Science Festival since its launch in 2011 until the end of its 9th session
Abu Dhabi, 10th of February 2019: Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has successfully concluded the Abu Dhabi Science Festival 2019. The 10-day event, which took place at A’l Bahar, Abu Dhabi Corniche, Al Jahili Park in the Al Ain Region, and City Mall in the Al Dhafra Region from 31st January to 9th February 2019, witnessed great interaction amongst the community.
The ninth edition of the ADSF surpassed expectations with an estimated attendance of more than 150,000 visitors and 27,300 student participants, which reflects the role of the nation’s leadership in encouraging creativity, innovation and stimulating students’ passion for science. As part of the closing ceremony, six teams were awarded for winning the Innovator 2019 distinctive projects and announcing more than one million visitors at ADSF since its launch in 2011.
Mr. Salem Al Shamsi, Director of the ADSF 2019 project and Acting Knowledge Management and Education Analytic Director at ADEK, said, “ADEK offers strategic initiatives that enhance students’ skills and motivate them towards building creativity and better abilities, as well as encouraging talented students to participate in innovative projects and ideas.”
He pointed out the great success of the ADSF 2019 in terms of interaction and attendance of various members of society.
Mr. Salem Al Shamsi praised the innovations and inventions created by young Emiratis who are interested in studying scientific disciplines including science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM), which affirms the UAE’s progress towards a prosperous future.
He added, “ADEK is keen on supporting the UAE’s efforts in nurturing a culture of creativity and a knowledge-based society through developing students’ creative and innovative abilities, as well as instilling a culture of scientific research, and motivating them to innovate and spread creativity among different members of society.”
Engineer Sanad Humaid Ahmed, the official spokesperson of the ADSF 2019 for ADEK, said, “I would like to extend my gratitude to our wise leadership for their continuous support in promoting creativity and innovation. I would also like to thank them for providing all the factors for future generations, individuals and community members, to contribute to creating a work-friendly environment that promotes innovation and excellence in various fields.”
He praised ADEK’s keenness on implementing strategic initiatives, such as the ADSF, which offers students fun and educational experiences which contribute to preparing future generations of outstanding talents in science to lead the way towards a knowledge based economy and a successful future for the UAE.
Engineer Sanad also extended his thanks and gratitude to government and private sector entities, innovators and partners for their cooperation in supporting the Abu Dhabi Science Festival 2019’s success.
At the closing ceremony, ADEK awarded six winners for their distinguished projects in Innovator 2019, honoring government entities, innovators, and participants who competed to highlight their talents and showcase their projects to be assessed according to quality, originality, innovation and social impact criteria. Participants presented their innovations to a jury panel to choose the best five projects competing in the five categories, in addition to the winning project in the peoples’ choice award.
Ru’iya won as part of the Art and Design category; the Life Saving Drone as part of the winning project within the Automotive, Mechanics, and Digital Fabrication category; Takweya won within the Robotics and Electronics category;Bicycle to Recycle within the Sustainability and Life Science category; Noor as part of the Aerospace category and Fire Proof Bed as part of the peoples’ choice award.
Speaking about their achievement during the event, the team of students from the Robotics and Electronics, Takweya team said: “It is wonderful to see our project turn from a dream to reality and our victory is the biggest testament that our project is significant and serves our community effectively. We are delighted and proud to have ADEK support our innovations.”
The Sustainability and Life Science category who won for their Bicycle to Ride project said: “Winning this competition means the world to us, it was a really nice opportunity for us to learn, showcase our talents and inspire others to think more creatively. The UAE is a great country; it provides amazing initiatives such as the Abu Dhabi Science Festival and Innovator 2019 to grow in the field of innovation. The festival was a great platform to propagate the best sustainability practices to others.”
The Art and Design, Ru’iya team added that: “The feeling of winning is really great and we are really grateful for the opportunity to participate in Innovator 2019 as part of the Abu Dhabi Science Festival. We did not come here to win a trophy; but to experience and meet like-minded people in the fields of innovation and creativity.”
More than 200 innovators from all over the country participated in the ninth edition of the ADSF 2019, who collectively showcased over 100 diverse innovations, with the participation of government and private entities presenting innovative strategic initiatives. During the event, 95 workshops in three locations were organized in addition to special school visits that aimed to familiarize the students with innovations, encourage their participation, and enjoy the benefits of taking part in the ADSF workshops and various interactive activities.
