The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) and Drone Champions League (DCL) are set to capture audiences with Autonomous Drone Championship Finale on 11-12 April 2025 at ADNEC Marina Hall, Abu Dhabi. 14 elite competitors from across the globe will race for a USD $1 million prize pool across four extreme challenges, showcasing cutting-edge drone technology.

A2RL X DCL Drone Championship will bring together top minds in drone engineering, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics, challenging teams to race through a dynamic aerial course at extreme speeds. Each drone must rely entirely on onboard computing and navigation systems to maneuver without external control.

Qualified teams will need to showcase their skills in sensor fusion, advanced control algorithms, and deep learning, condensing highly complex computations into a tiny device that soars, dodges, and conquers gates in a fraction of a second.

The A2RL X DCL Drone Championship aims to push innovation in AI-driven mobility while establishing Abu Dhabi as a global hub for advanced autonomous and AI technology. The racing competition is a game-changer for both drone racing and the wider field of AI-powered robotics, influencing industries such as autonomous delivery, aerial surveillance and emergency response.

The Four Challenges

Each challenge presents a different set of circumstances for the teams to consider as they develop their drone control algorithms. To reach this stage, each team has passed two highly competitive qualifying rounds that saw hundreds of talented teams from around the world compete for just 14 final places.

AI Grand Challenge: A single-drone time trial on a 170-meter track, where drones must navigate shifting gates to win the top prize. Teams must complete two timed laps to achieve a valid finish.

AI vs Human: This race pits the top four AI teams against DCL’s elite first-person view pilots in head-to-head knockout rounds on the same racetrack.

Multi-drone Race: Four drones race simultaneously, testing collision avoidance and speed.

AI Drag Race: A straight-line speed battle, measuring acceleration and stability.

Hailing from universities, research institutions, companies, and private organizations, the final 14 teams come from the Netherlands, Austria, South Korea, Czech Republic, Mexico, Turkey, China, Spain, Canada, the USA, and the UAE.

The Drones

To succeed, teams must program their drone to fly through the track’s gates as fast as possible without human input, while the drones must independently calculate their flight path and dynamically adjust to environmental conditions, such as air movement and lighting, as well as gate positions. For the first time, the new A2RL X DCL drones will use a single forward-facing camera and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for flight estimation.

Underpinning this new format is the NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX computing module, which provides each drone with an impressive onboard graphics processing unit (GPU) in a compact, power-efficient package. The GPU will utilize all the information and data generated by the camera and IMU—in line with its programming—to control the drone.

A2RL Summit 2.0

A2RL will host the second edition of the A2RL Summit on 11 April 2025, bringing together industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers under the theme “Building the Motor Valley of AI & Robotics.” This year’s summit will explore the convergence of R&D in Motorsports, the Future of Mobility, and Games for Innovation.

DCL Falcon Cup Finals: The World’s Best Pilots Battle for the Title

Held alongside the A2RL X DCL Autonomous Drone Championship, the DCL Falcon Cup Finals bring high-speed, team-based FPV drone racing to ADNEC Abu Dhabi. As one of the three flagship Cups shaping the DCL 2025 Season, the Falcon Cup sets the stage for top-tier competition early in the year. Spain Drone Team, Raiden Racing, Cyclone Racing, and the DCL Wildcard Team will go head-to-head in a live showdown on April 11–12, 2025. The event channels DCL’s competitive spirit and delivers pure adrenaline for fans onsite and online, with a full broadcast on DCL’s YouTube channel on April 26.

Immersive Entertainment & Family-Friendly Activities

Over the two days, visitors can expect futuristic roaming performances that blend technology and artistry, a high-energy DJ set within the Drone Area, creating an immersive atmosphere and kid-friendly activities including interactive gaming zones and face painting.

Following A2RL X DCL Drone Championship, A2RL’s flagship series for autonomous racecars will return to Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, on 15 November 2025.

The A2RL X DCL Drone Championship is proudly sponsored by XRG, Mubadala, Abu Dhabi Mobility, AWS, Du Infra, and Wio Bank.

Registration for the event are free, but spots are limited. Interested attendees are encouraged to secure their place early at https://registration.a2rl.io/register