American University of Sharjah Student Project Earns Global Recognition

A team of students from the American University of Sharjah has developed "Shahin," a drone-mounted system that can spot missing people in the desert and alert rescue teams in real time. The project just won second place in Dell Technologies' "Imagine the Future" 2024-2025 competition, beating out 259 projects from 14 countries across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa.

The name comes from the UAE's falcon, known for its speed, sharp vision, and precision. Just like a falcon can spot prey from far away, this device lets drones scan vast desert areas with accuracy and flexibility. That gives rescue teams precious time when lives are at stake.

The team includes computer engineering students Youssef Ershaid, Malik Hader, and Adham Al Muslimi, plus computer science student Ahmed Al Saleh. They worked under Dr. Mohammed Al Hajri, an assistant professor in the computer science and engineering department. Back in May 2025, their project also took first place in the university's computer engineering graduation project competition for the 2024-2025 academic year.

When the team started, they hit a problem. There wasn't a good database of desert images to train their system. But instead of giving up, they built their own database for desert search and rescue images. It's probably the biggest one of its kind in the region.

Working with a drone pilot, they captured over 7,500 real photos from UAE deserts. The images show different clothing, positions, and movements so the system can recognize people in various situations.

For rescue operations, this matters because desert searches are tough and time-sensitive. Traditional methods rely on ground teams or helicopters, which can be slow and expensive. Drones equipped with smart detection systems can cover more ground faster and work in harsh conditions that might ground other aircraft.

The technology could also interest government agencies handling border security or emergency services across the Gulf region, where desert rescues are common. As drone regulations become clearer in the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries, systems like Shahin might become standard tools for search and rescue operations.