Under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, President of the Royal Scientific Society, the 6th edition of the National Aviation Cybersecurity Competition (META CTF) was inaugurated at Queen Alia International Airport. The event was organized by Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) in collaboration with Royal Jordanian Airlines and its training arm, the Jordanian Airline Training and Simulation (JATS), and supervised by PSUT’s Cyber Security Club (CSC).

Representing Her Royal Highness, Royal Jordanian’s Vice Chairman and CEO, Eng. Samer Majali, officially opened the competition, which brought together 30 teams from 13 Jordanian universities. Participants tackled real-world cybersecurity challenges across multiple domains including network penetration, cryptography, digital forensics, and other advanced fields.

The ceremony was attended by PSUT President Professor Wejdan Abu Elhaija, JATS Chairman Dr. Fawzi Al-Mulki, alongside aviation experts, cybersecurity specialists, and a large audience of students and faculty mentors.

In remarks delivered on her behalf by the Royal Scientific Society’s Vice President for Technology, Dr. Nabeel Al-Fayoumi, Princess Sumaya emphasized that PSUT’s partnership with Royal Jordanian embodies her vision that “distinguished education goes beyond classrooms, linking youth directly to real-world challenges and equipping them with the professional skills needed to keep pace with global transformations.”

Her Royal Highness further noted that for 35 years PSUT has placed students at the core of its mission, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. Its graduates, she said, have excelled internationally in competitions such as IEEE, ACM, CPTC, and CTF. She stressed that this competition is not merely an academic contest but a national message: “Jordan is advancing with confidence through strong partnerships between universities and leading institutions, with Royal Jordanian at the forefront of these collaborations.”

Princess Sumaya highlighted the symbolic significance of hosting the competition at Queen Alia International Airport, “Jordan’s gateway to the world,” underlining the strategic role of cybersecurity in safeguarding national security, modern economies, and vital sectors such as aviation. She called on young people to embrace lifelong learning and adaptability, warning that “in a fast-changing era, success belongs not to those who rely only on yesterday’s knowledge, but to those who constantly evolve to stay ahead of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.”

For his part, Eng. Samer Majali reaffirmed Royal Jordanian’s commitment to engaging with academia, noting that initiatives like this competition help prepare youth for the labor market and strengthen Jordan’s regional and international position. He added that hosting the event at JATS underscores the company’s investment in training, digital transformation, and integrated cybersecurity systems, all while modernizing its fleet and expanding its global network.

The Cyber Security Club at PSUT, represented by its president Ahmad Obeidat, contributed directly by designing the competition’s technical challenges and coordinating logistics, continuing the university’s legacy of hosting successful cybersecurity contests.

This year’s winners included a joint team from PSUT and Jordan University of Science and Technology in first place, followed by a PSUT team in second, and a team from Applied Science University in third.

In addition to the competition, participants attended specialized sessions on threat detection, incident response, and securing air traffic management systems. The event concluded with an award ceremony led by Eng. Majali and Prof. Abu Elhaija, honoring the winning teams and applauding the efforts of all participants for advancing excellence in this critical field.