Al Bireh 2025

The tables at Baladeya Al Bireh were filled with timers, mats, and solved faces as competitors settled into their stations across two days of action on February 20 and February 21. Hands hovered over displays, cases clicked open, and inspection times ticked down before the first moves of the weekend. For every participant gathering in the venue, getting to the tables required dedicated travel from across the region to test their preparation on the official stage. The atmosphere reflected that shared effort as 41 speedcubers assembled to take on a packed schedule of nine events spanning 15 total rounds.

The journey to this cubing competition in Al-Bireh, Palestine brought together contenders ready to battle across multiple disciplines in 2025. Across the weekend, podium finishes were contested fiercely between entrants representing Palestine and Israel, with Palestinian competitors securing 21 podium places and Israeli competitors claiming six. Every round required precision, from the compact turning of the smaller puzzles to the complex layers of larger twisty puzzles. For those making the trip, the venue provided the stage to measure months of solitary practice against regional peers under World Cube Association regulations.

In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube, which featured 40 competitors over three rounds, Adam Tiro claimed the top spot with a winning average of 8.86 seconds alongside a best single of 7.52 seconds. Mohammad Ahmad Abu Hussein secured second place in the 3x3 results with an average of 10.04 seconds, while Mohamad Abd Alkarim Haj Mohamad completed the podium in third with an 11.48 average. Tiro carried that fine form into the 2x2x2 Cube, taking the victory with a 3.19 winning average, followed by Abu Hussein with 3.87 and Maroun Azam with 4.27.

Tiro added two more titles to his tally in the single-round events. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Tiro finished first among 10 competitors with a 35.88 average and a best single of 25.97, leading Abu Hussein at 40.30 and Azam at 1:06.76. He also conquered the Square-1 event, averaging 23.34 seconds to finish ahead of Aziza Sbeih at 27.08 and Abu Hussein at 32.29. Tiro and Abu Hussein traded top marks across the boards during the meet, providing a constant display of high-level Rubik's Cube mastery in multiple formats.

Mohammad Ahmad Abu Hussein secured three event titles of his own during Al Bireh 2025. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Abu Hussein took the win with a 16.72 average and a best single of 13.81, holding off Tiro at 17.06 and Azam at 25.39. In the Pyraminx, Abu Hussein topped a field of 26 solvers across two rounds with an average of 5.83 seconds, featuring a best single of 4.48. He also captured first place in the Megaminx, delivering a 1:02.88 average and a 56.94 single to best Yousef Ayman Ahmad at 1:39.22 and Tiro at 1:50.99.

Aziza Sbeih demonstrated remarkable skill across alternative puzzle formats, taking two event victories during the weekend. In the Skewb final, Sbeih posted a winning average of 6.11 seconds with a single of 4.88, edging out Abu Hussein at 6.78 and Azam at 6.99. Sbeih also triumphed in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded competition, registering a winning single solve of 3:19.48. Ahmad Abu Hussein took the runner-up spot with a time of 3:38.77, while Azam finished third with a solve of 4:08.40 in an event demanding complete mental mapping.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, several participants delivered outstanding milestones during their rounds at the tables. Majd Abu Hussein achieved a massive personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube with a single of 32.58 seconds, which was 55.7 percent faster than the previous mark of 1:13.56, while also trimming 32 percent off their Pyraminx mark down to 12.59 and completing a first attempt at the 2x2x2 Cube in 12.44 seconds. Dalia Sbaih entered five events, earning a 4th-place finish in Square-1, a 16.5 percent improvement in the 3x3x3 Cube at 31.08, and initial attempts in both Square-1 and Skewb. Abd Al-Rhman Abu Snineh took on seven events, recording a best finish of 8th in One-Handed, a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 2:31.96, and a 16.9 percent Megaminx drop to 3:12.63. Jana Ahmad Abu Hussein logged a 19.5 percent drop in the 4x4x4 Cube to 1:54.37, a 17.8 percent drop in the 3x3x3 Cube to 25.65, and a first Megaminx solve of 3:52.73.

The depth of the field was further highlighted by dedicated competitors expanding their repertoires. Nadia Asad Qoraan entered five events, recording initial official attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 1:26.66, Skewb at 18.62, and Pyraminx at 17.62. Amir Mohammad Abdalhalim tackled six events, securing a 4th-place finish in the 3x3x3 Cube alongside maiden official attempts in the 4x4x4 Cube at 1:24.59 and the Pyraminx at 6.03. Marking their first WCA competition appearances, Osama Aiman Suleiman Hammad completed three events with initial attempts in the Pyraminx at 12.38, 2x2x2 Cube at 15.08, and 3x3x3 Cube at 43.19, while Mira Tamimi placed 11th in Megaminx during a three-event debut that included initial marks across the 3x3x3 Cube, Pyraminx, and Megaminx.

The successful completion of Al Bireh 2025 closed out two days of intense speed cubing in the municipality. From the first rounds on Friday to the concluding finals, the tournament served as a testament to the endurance and resolve of solvers who travelled to compete on the regional stage. The performances across all nine disciplines reflect a thriving speedcubing community in Palestine, with competitors already looking ahead to testing their personal bests in the next season of official competition.