Tehran hosts final stage of international “Rayan” AI and Programming Competition
The final stage of the Rayan International Artificial Intelligence and Programming Competition began on Monday at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, bringing together participants from 30 countries after a year-long series of preliminary rounds across 10 Iranian provinces.
According to the Iranian Vice Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, scientific secretary of the event, Hamid Zarrabizadeh, said the first day opened with the arrival of international teams in Tehran. Participants then completed contest photography and ID card issuance before joining a half-day cultural program.
Zarrabizadeh described Rayan as one of the largest global competitions in its field, noting that more than 30,000 competitors from 137 countries took part in earlier stages, with international entrants accounting for about 90% of all participants. Over 100 contestants from 30 countries qualified for the finals.
Countries represented in the final round include the US, Russia, Italy, China, India, Argentina, Chile, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Vietnam, Colombia, Armenia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Australia, Belarus, Serbia, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Slovakia and Iran.
The competition’s preparatory rounds, held from July 2024 to June 2025, took place in cities including Hamedan, Shiraz, Yazd, Mashhad, Semnan, Tabriz, Isfahan, Tehran, Ahvaz and Qaenat.
Organizers say the event aims to strengthen algorithmic thinking, problem-solving skills, teamwork and innovation, while expanding AI and programming education nationwide and enhancing Iran’s role in international problem-design standards.
