Create Apps Championship 2026: Winners of Third Edition Announced in Dubai

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honored the winners of the third edition of the Create Apps Championship at Emirates Towers Boulevard.

The winners were Ettan Ehsan, named Best Youth-made App; RUSH, winner of Most Impactful App; LiaPay, named Most Innovative App; and POP by Kwelio, winner of Longevity App of the Year. POP by Kwelio also received the championship’s top honor, Dubai’s App of the Year.

The awards ceremony for the third edition of the Create Apps Championship was attended by Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications and Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy; Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers; and Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.

Ettan Ehsan is a gamified learning platform that transforms school subjects into short, visual and engaging challenges. RUSH is a marketplace offering curated group travel experiences built around shared interests and connections.

LiaPay is an AI-powered financial wellness assistant that analyzes financial and employment data to provide personalized insights and guidance. POP by Kwelio is a smart medication-adherence app that uses behavioral science, gamification and predictive analytics to encourage consistent medication use.

The championship is part of the Create Apps in Dubai initiative, led by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy to support app development, digital skills and technology entrepreneurship in the emirate.

Across its three editions, the championship has attracted 15,564 applications from 153 countries, contributed to the development of 1,700 prototypes and supported the launch of more than 140 applications. The third edition alone received 9,754 entries from around the world.

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said Dubai would continue to serve as a platform for creativity that benefits communities globally, with innovative initiatives and applications contributing to government performance, the development of new services and improvements in quality of life.

He also affirmed that the forward-looking vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has enabled Dubai to shape the future by remaining at the forefront of adopting advanced technologies.

Finalists and semifinalists of the championship will receive direct entry to Oraseya Capital’s Launchpad, a six-month, in-person program supporting early-stage startups before they are investment-ready. The program provides structured guidance, access to expertise, and connections to networks and resources to help founders develop their products, refine their business models and build early traction.

Oraseya Capital is the venture capital arm of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), investing in startups from pre-seed to Series B.

Launched in 2023, the Create Apps Championship has developed from an app development competition into a global platform supporting founders and innovators in the digital economy, with a focus on turning technology ideas into scalable applications and ventures.

RELATED: Sheikh Hamdan Launches Create AI Agents Championship With AED2.5 Million-Plus Prize Pool