iOS Design Challenge 2026–2027
The Year of Family:
Growing In Unity
iOS Design Challenge is a national initiative that empowers UAE national students aged 13–18 to become future tech innovators by solving real-world problems through app design and development. This initiative encourages students to apply design thinking, cultivate STEAM skills, and build functioning iOS apps that strengthen and support UAE families.
IOS Design Challenge 2026–2027
The Year of Family:
Growing in Unity
Join Designing Stronger Families.
Designing for Connection - Inspired by Family.
Every great app begins with a human story — and in 2026–2027, that story is about family. As the UAE dedicates this year to strengthening family bonds, passing on values, and building confident and capable generations, we’re proud to align our design challenge with this national vision. The Year of Family is a national invitation to rediscover the relationships at the heart of our lives — between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, siblings and extended family. The challenge is to translate that vision into apps that:
- Nurture closeness and strengthen family bonds
- Preserve and celebrate Emirati values, traditions, and identity
- Support families in navigating modern challenges with confidence
- Connect generations through shared stories and experiences
From everyday routines to family celebrations, your design ideas need to reflect a core belief: Technology can be a catalyst for connection within the family.
Built for People. Designed with Purpose.
As young people living in the UAE, we challenge you to create an app prototype that:
Bring families together and foster shared experiences
Enable connection across generations and preserve cultural heritage
Support families in facing the challenges of modern life
The iOS Design Challenge 2026–2027
is more than a competition — it’s a movement.
We’re reimagining how technology can nurture family bonds, preserve heritage,
and help UAE families grow, connect, and thrive.
Growing in Unity:
Roots
Connections
Growth
Timeline
September 2026 - February 2027
Building your team
Each team should have members who are able to provide: coding skills, management skills, marketing skills, and UX, UI designing skills.
- Top teams will be invited to:
- Attend the Award Ceremony
- Join the Swift Accelerator Program with 180 hours of coding instruction
- Macbook Air computers will be provided for the Swift Accelerator Program
- Students who pass the Swift certification keep the Macbook Air
- Design and Coding Resources
- Apple Pro-Level Certification
- Potentially publish their apps in the App Store
Frequently Asked Questions
This year’s challenge introduces several updates:
– No Training – Students and teachers will access self-paced training materials via the LMS.
– Eligible Participants: Only UAE National students aged 13-18 years.
This challenge is open to all UAE National students aged 13-18 currently enrolled in private and government high schools in the UAE.
Talk with one of your teachers and form your team. Your teacher will register first then will add your team to the competition.
All participants who submit all tasks and team leaders will get certificates. Winning students will attend a prestigious award ceremony and get the opportunity to continue with advanced training in Swift coding.
Yes, but you need to submit a new app prototype.
Yes, you can participate but is not eligilbe to win again. The app prototype also needs to be new.
No, you can only be a winner in one Sandooq Al Watan competition in the same year.