KAU Honors Red Sea Rovers Team for Ranking Seventh Globally in Canada

King Abdulaziz University President Dr. Tareef bin Youssef Alaama recognized the Red Sea Rovers team during a ceremony held in appreciation of its outstanding achievement of ranking seventh globally in the PIONEER category at the MATE ROV 2026 World Championship, hosted by Memorial University in Canada. The competition brought together 35 universities from around the world. The recognition ceremony was held on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at the University Council Hall.

The team earned 374.67 points in the official championship results after developing an advanced remotely operated vehicle (ROV) based on an integrated engineering design. The ROV successfully carried out complex underwater exploration and engineering missions through the seamless integration of control systems, sensors and operational tools, delivering exceptional stability, precision and performance in challenging marine environments.

Completed over two years of dedicated work, the project was developed through the Manufacturing Club at the Deanship of Student Affairs. The club provided an inspiring environment that nurtured innovative ideas and strengthened the applied skills of students from various disciplines, ultimately enabling the team to represent the university at one of the world’s leading competitions in marine robotics.

The team comprised Ruba Faisal Al-Nashiri, Abdullah Mohammed bin Salman, Ammar Khalid Al-Ahmadi, Imtinan Ayman Al-Halawani, Manar Mahdi Talib, Youssef Ahmed Baabdullah, Abdulsalam Sulaiman Al-Faifi, Raghad Ahmed Al-Saadi, Rahaf Abdulkhaliq Al-Adwani, Almahdi Mohammed Sayrafi, Faris Mujahid Al-Bukhari and Abdulaziz Mohammed Al-Harbi, under the supervision of Professor Ammar Abdulghani M. Melibari.

The achievement was supported by King Abdulaziz University, the Scientific Endowment, and Johnson Controls Arabia as part of a partnership dedicated to empowering young national talent and supporting innovative projects. This collaboration strengthens the university’s presence at international scientific forums while reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position in innovation, engineering and advanced technologies.