A record nine university teams from the Middle East will join 113 teams in the Shell Challenge to compete in the race for the most fuel-efficient cars.

Shell’s global Eco-marathon Asia 2014 will take place from February 6 to 9 in Manila.

Engineering students, who make up the majority of the teams, have been hard at work, putting the final touches on their ‘Made in the UAE’, ‘Made in Qatar’, ‘Made in Egypt’ and ‘Made in Lebanon’ fuel-efficient vehicles ahead of the competition which will take place on the streets of Manila.

Andrew Vaughan, vice president for Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Syria, said: “We are excited to witness the ‘Made in the Middle East’ innovations that will be globally showcased in Manila, at the Shell Eco-marathon race, an event that will stretch the boundaries of fuel efficiency this year.”
 
“In addition, the skills the students acquire through this project will prepare them for a successful career and further encourage them to become active contributors to the future of innovation and smarter mobility in the region,” he added.

The regional representation includes two entries from the UAE’s HC Al Ruwais Colleges and Abu Dhabi Men’s College; two from Qatar University and one from Texas A&M, Qatar; two from Lebanon’s American University of Beirut and Lebanese American University; and two from Egypt’s Cairo University and Ain Shams University.

The participating students will experience first-hand the energy challenges faced by true urban environments, said a statement.

City centres will bear the brunt of the world’s surging population, which will rise to nine billion from seven billion by 2050, as well as the energy demands that come with it. The challenge will demonstrate how new technology can work in the heart of real cities. - TradeArabia News Service