Rubik's Cube enthusiasts from all over the UAE gathered at Raha International School in Khalifa City for a unique speedcubing competition to show off their skills.
Called the Raha Open 2023, the event attracted 76 participants to the one-day competition on May 21. Winners were given awards in categories such as 3x3x3 Cube, 2x2x2 Cube, 4x4x4 Cube, Pyraminx (a cube shaped like a pyramid) and Skewb (a cube that has different axes of rotation). The event was open to participants of all ages.
Organised by Baha Alshwaiki, Niila Kauppi and Sasha Giuliano, the event was officially recognised by the World Cube Association, a volunteer-run non-profit organisation. The Raha Open was the first time the event had been held in the UAE capital, with plans afoot to potentially host a future event in Al Ain.
Mihir Narayan won with an average of 8.36 seconds in the 3x3x3, France Bautista won the 2x2x2 with an average of 2.64 seconds and Yerkin Assylbek won with an average of 32.29 seconds in the 4x4x4. Narayan also won the Pyraminx event with an average of 4.45 seconds while Bautista took top spot in Skewb with a 5.35-second average.
Alshwaiki, who was also involved in the Sunmarke Dubai Open at Sunmarke School in JVT last year that had 145 participants, says he wants to continue hosting the events all around the UAE.
“We will keep putting on these competitions in Abu Dhabi,” he says.
