US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry attended the concluding day of the FIRST Global Challenge 2019 in Dubai today and conveyed a message of hope, cooperation and excitement for the future of society.

“This is a celebration of the human spirit, a demonstration of our youth breaking out and breaking down long-standing cultural barriers,” Senator Perry said, discussing the involvement of some 1,500 students from 191 countries in the third edition of the annual robotics competition.

“These kids are teaching us adults a lesson,” he added. “They’re showing us that people from all over the world can come together and learn to love and respect one another while casting aside some of the old ways of thinking, where some cultures historically don’t get along. They are doing away with old stereotypes that society can perpetuate.”

Senator Perry also visited Team UAE at Festival Arena to wish the members well for the future and learn about the technology they had developed for the competition.