IKMC UAE 2026 Results and Highlights from All Seven Emirates
Updated: Sep 24
1,787 students and 87 schools mark the first edition delivered through the Ministry of Education–ThinkTanks strategic partnership.
By Kangaroo UAE
On 12 May 2026, students across all seven emirates took part in the International Kangaroo Mathematics Competition (IKMC), bringing a shared experience of mathematical discovery to 87 schools. With 1,787 participants, the first UAE edition delivered through the Ministry of Education–ThinkTanks strategic partnership established a foundation for a growing national community of young problem-solvers.
Mathematical thinking and the UAE’s future
In his message marking the 54th Eid Al Etihad on 1 December 2025, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, called attention to the knowledge and judgement that the next generation will need:
“I call on our youth to make the most of AI and modern technologies in a thoughtful and responsible manner, and to focus on academic and scientific disciplines that serve our national development priorities.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan President of the United Arab Emirates
Mathematics provides an essential foundation for this ambition. It teaches students to recognise structure, examine assumptions and reach conclusions through reasoned steps. These habits support learning in science, computing and engineering, while helping young people approach unfamiliar problems with independence and care.
A global tradition with an open invitation
Kangaroo’s international story began with a simple educational idea: an engaging mathematical challenge should be accessible to a wide range of students. Inspired by the Australian Mathematics Competition, which began in 1978, French educators André Deledicq and Jean-Pierre Boudine developed the first Kangaroo competition in France in 1991. Its name paid tribute to the Australian inspiration. As the initiative spread, educators from ten countries founded the Association Kangourou Sans Frontières (AKSF), or Kangaroo Without Borders, in 1994. Today, the association’s network spans more than 110 countries and regions, and the competition engages millions of students worldwide. This scale places Kangaroo among the world’s largest school mathematics competitions.
AKSF brings together national organisers and mathematical educators to develop the annual challenge. Its distinctive questions invite observation, imagination and logical reasoning, often through a diagram, an unexpected pattern or an everyday situation. The international reach gives students a connection to a much larger mathematical community; the questions give that connection its educational substance.
An invitation to every kind of learner
The purpose of IKMC is to encourage enjoyment of mathematics and a willingness to explore. Students at every level of attainment can take part, including those still developing confidence in the subject. An unfamiliar question can offer a fresh point of entry: noticing a relationship, testing an idea or finding a route to a solution.
The UAE competition provides six age-appropriate levels covering Grades 1–12, with papers available in Arabic and English. Students work through multiple-choice questions in a 120-minute session: 24 questions for Grades 1–4 and 30 for Grades 5–12. The format invites careful reasoning within an accessible structure, with problems that become progressively more demanding.
A strategic partnership with national reach
The Ministry of Education’s support brought IKMC under its umbrella, establishing the strategic partnership with ThinkTanks Child Skills Development L.L.C., the official UAE national member of AKSF. Through the Ministry’s circular and the cooperation of education authorities, including ADEK, KHDA and SPEA, the invitation reached schools across the country.
School principals, coordinators and teachers translated that invitation into participation. They informed families, registered students and organised the competition locally. The resulting collaboration connected an established international programme with the people and institutions best placed to make it meaningful in UAE classrooms.
The first edition in numbers
IKMC UAE 2026 brought together 1,787 students from 87 schools across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Participation extended across all six competition levels, giving the first edition both national coverage and a broad age range.
Emirati students represented 65.2% of participants, public-school students 61.3%, and female students 55.2%. These figures show the breadth of the participating community and the partnership’s reach into public education. They also provide a starting point for extending the opportunity to more schools and families in future editions.
Successful delivery through a demanding period
The achievement takes on particular significance in the circumstances of its delivery. Regional disruption and changes to school arrangements required the competition to be moved from its original April date to 12 May. A further period of distance learning shortly before competition day added to the challenge of preparing an inaugural edition.
With coordinated support from the Ministry, education authorities, schools and the organising team, the competition proceeded on the revised date. Students participated on school campuses, with online arrangements available for those affected by closures. Completing the event across all seven emirates reflected the commitment of the school community and the value of practical contingency arrangements that kept participation possible.
Recognising achievement and the courage to take part
The 2026 results included 164 medal awards: 8 gold, 91 silver and 65 bronze. A further 914 students earned star badges. Across the cohort, all 1,787 participants received formal recognition through the competition’s medals, badges or certificates.
Each medal represents a notable performance in a demanding mathematical challenge. The wider purpose of recognition is equally important: to acknowledge the effort involved in attempting unfamiliar problems and encourage students to continue. A first experience of competition can be a useful beginning for further exploration, whether a student leaves with an award or with a question they want to revisit.
Photographs from the inaugural edition capture students working through their papers and sharing the occasion with their classmates. Encouraging feedback from students, parents and teachers adds to the case for building on this first year. The schools that made time and space for the competition helped turn an international invitation into a personal experience for their students.
Building towards IKMC 2027
The next edition will build on the national reach established in 2026. The aim is to give more schools time to prepare and more families the opportunity to participate, supported by earlier communication, bilingual guidance and continued coordination through the strategic partnership.
Registration for IKMC UAE 2027 opens on 30 September 2026 and closes on 12 March 2027. The competition will take place on 20 April 2027, with results scheduled for 20 May 2027. Schools are encouraged to extend the invitation across Grades 1–12 and across all levels of academic attainment.
ThinkTanks extends its appreciation to the Ministry of Education, the education authorities, participating schools, teachers and parents, and to every student who accepted the challenge. The first edition has established a shared occasion for mathematical thinking across the UAE. The task ahead is to widen that opportunity and help more students discover what they can do when they have the confidence to begin.
IKMC 2026 at a glance:
Congratulations on the successful first edition of IKMC UAE! A wonderful milestone in bringing more students closer to mathematics, critical thinking and problem solving. Wishing the 2027 edition even greater participation and impact! 👏✨