Jun 29, 2025

KFUPM Ranks 3rd Globally in sUAS Drone Competition

KFUPM secured an outstanding 3rd place in the Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) competition, one of the world’s leading contests for autonomous drone systems, held in Maryland, USA.

The 2025 edition brought together 81 university teams from 19 countries, including the USA, Canada, Germany, India, Türkiye, and the UK. After a strict qualification process, 56 teams advanced to the main event.

Teams were challenged to design, build, and program autonomous aerial systems capable of completing complex real-world missions. These included fully automated takeoff, navigation through waypoints, identifying and localizing objects on the ground, delivering payloads to precise locations, and safely landing—all without manual control.

Top-ranking institutions included Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Georgia Tech, and Cornell University—with KFUPM proudly placing just behind the top two. Final standings were published on the official competition website, confirming KFUPM’s place among the world’s best in engineering and robotics.

This achievement reflects KFUPM’s commitment to hands-on learning and global excellence. It also aligns with the university’s seven student habits, especially self-reliance, global experience, and high aspirations—preparing graduates to lead and compete on the international stage.