On behalf of the Minister of Education and Human Resources Development, Dr. Azmi Mahafzah, and in the presence of President of Al Hussein Technical University, Dr. Ismail Al Hinti, Secretary General of the Ministry for School Affairs, Dr. Nawaf Al-Ajarmeh, patronized the announcement ceremony of the 2026 edition of “The App Challenge” competition, organized by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD) at Al Hussein Technical University. The ceremony included honoring the winning schools and presenting them with their prizes.
Dr. Al-Ajarmeh affirmed that the competition represents a leading national platform for fostering innovation and digital transformation skills among students and developing their programming capabilities. He noted the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening a school learning environment that nurtures creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving, in line with the demands of the modern era and future skills.
He also conveyed the Minister’s greetings and appreciation for the efforts of the King Abdullah II Fund for Development and its fruitful partnership with the Ministry and national institutions in supporting and empowering students across schools throughout the Kingdom.
For his part, Director General of the King Abdullah II Fund for Development, Dr. Samer Mofleh, said that “The App Challenge” aims to develop students’ innovation and creativity skills and introduce them to the electronic games and applications industry, while building their capabilities in designing and developing digital games. The competition also seeks to enhance teamwork, time management, and the ability to work under pressure, contributing to preparing a generation of young people capable of leveraging modern technologies and strengthening Jordan’s position in the information technology sector.
He added that the competition aligns with the outcomes of the Economic Modernization Vision, particularly its Creative Industries pillar, and contributes to empowering young people and developing their creative and technical capabilities in promising sectors.
Shafa Badran Secondary School for Boys won first place, receiving a prize consisting of the establishment of a mini gaming lab valued at JOD 5,000. Al Qadisiyah Secondary School for Girls received two awards: Best Presentation and Best Teamwork, along with a mini gaming lab valued at JOD 3,000. Meanwhile, Kafr Aan Co-educational Secondary School won the Best Creative Idea award and received a mini gaming lab valued at JOD 1,500.
The competition targets students aged 14–16 from public and private schools across the Kingdom’s governorates. It is based on forming student teams to design and develop electronic games around a predetermined theme. Participants receive guidance and training before their games are evaluated by a specialized judging committee, which selects the winners according to announced criteria.
The 2026 edition witnessed the participation of 135 schools and 690 students in the introductory sessions. A total of 12 schools, comprising 60 students, took part in the training program, while eight schools qualified for the final stage.
The competition comprises four stages, beginning with registration, attendance at an introductory session, and a qualifying test to select participating schools. This is followed by five days of in-person training for students from the selected schools on the fundamentals of programming and electronic game design. In the third stage, students work over a period of approximately six weeks to develop their games, which are then evaluated by a specialized committee. The competition concludes with the announcement of the results, the establishment of mini gaming labs at the winning schools, and the promotion of the games developed by participating students.
“The App Challenge” was launched in 2011 with the aim of developing students’ innovation skills and building their capabilities in designing and developing games for modern electronic devices, while introducing them to the electronic games industry.