Season 6
Upcoming Events
Season 6 of Code Battle is here: online eliminators from 10–15 November, then a live Grand Finale at Heriot-Watt University Dubai on 21 November 2026. Registration is free and open until 10 November.
All Events
Edition 6
Code Battle 2026
Season 6 · UAE inter-school student hackathon and coding competition
Teams of 2–3 students compete in four divisions: Cadet (Grades 1–2), Captain (Grades 3–5), Colonel (Grades 6–8) and the new General division (Grades 9–12). Every team builds online first. The top teams then get a new theme at the Grand Finale, build a fresh project on site and present it live to industry judges.
- Online eliminators 10–15 Nov · Grand Finale 21 Nov 2026
- Heriot-Watt University Dubai
- Grades 1–12
- Teams of 2–3
Code Battle 2026: questions from parents, teachers and students
What is Code Battle?
Code Battle is the UAE's inter-school student hackathon and coding competition, created and run by iCodejr in Dubai since 2021. From Season 6, school teams build a project during an online eliminator, and the top teams get a new theme at the Grand Finale, build a fresh project on site and present it live to industry judges.
When is Code Battle 2026?
Registration is open until 10 November 2026. Themes are revealed at a launch webinar on 10 November, and teams submit their projects online by 11:59 PM on 15 November. Finalists are announced on 17 November, and the Grand Finale is on Saturday 21 November 2026 at Heriot-Watt University Dubai. See the full Season 6 details.
Who can take part?
Students in Grades 1–12 at UAE schools, in teams of 2–3. Teams compete in four divisions: Cadet (Grades 1–2), Captain (Grades 3–5), Colonel (Grades 6–8) and General (Grades 9–12).
How much does it cost?
Nothing. Code Battle is free for schools and students.
How do we register a team?
Register your teams on the Code Battle 2026 registration page by 10 November. Parents can also register a team, as long as all the students in the team are from the same school.
How many teams can a school enter?
As many as you like. From Season 6 there is no limit per school or per division.
What do students need to bring?
For the online eliminator, teams build on their own computers at school or at home. Finalist teams bring their own laptops and chargers to the Grand Finale, plus their own food and drinks: meals are not provided at the venue.
Which coding platforms can students use?
Cadet (Grades 1–2) and Captain (Grades 3–5) teams use block-based coding on Bloqi.ai. Colonel (Grades 6–8) teams can choose block-based coding on Bloqi.ai or text-based coding (Python or web development) on the iCodeJr IDE. General (Grades 9–12) teams use text-based coding only, in Python or web development on the iCodeJr IDE.
Do students know the theme in advance?
Themes are revealed at the launch webinar on 10 November. Teams then have six days to build their project, submit it with its code and record their pitch. Finalists get a new theme, revealed on the day of the Grand Finale.
Can teachers and parents attend?
Yes. Teachers may accompany their finalist teams at the Grand Finale, and parents are welcome to watch.
What time does the event run?
The launch webinar time will be confirmed and shared with registered schools. Grand Finale timings will be shared with finalist teams.
Will students get a certificate?
Yes. Every participant receives a certificate. Winning teams in every division receive trophies and medals, and extra 1st-place prizes are announced on the day.
Can students use AI?
Yes, for sprites, storylines, concepts and ideas. Students may not ask AI to write code. The iCodeJr IDE’s built-in assistant helps with debugging only and won’t write code.
How are projects judged?
Five criteria, each worth 20%: Use of AI, Teamwork, Presentation, Code and User Interface.
Who can we contact?
Email hala@icodejr.com, or call Samir on +971 58 577 2647 or Mudassir on +971 58 604 2633.