Bethlehem 2025

Thirty-three competitors gathered across 15 total rounds of play, creating an intense atmosphere where earning a place on the podium proved to be a grueling challenge. Staged at the Alrowwad Vocational Centre from April 17 to April 18, the competition tested the endurance and precision of solvers across nine separate official disciplines. With large starting brackets narrowing down rapidly through multiple elimination stages, the field depth pushed contenders to their limits in Bethlehem, Palestine throughout the two-day gathering.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew 32 entrants into a three-round gauntlet, demanding absolute consistency from anyone hoping to advance. The classic Rubik's Cube remains the ultimate benchmark of speedcubing, and the opening rounds left no room for early errors. When the dust settled in the final round, Adam Tiro claimed the top spot on the podium with a decisive winning average of 7.90 seconds, backed by a tournament-best single solve of 6.41 seconds. Mohammad Ahmad Abu Hussein took second place with a 10.68 average, while Aziza Sbeih earned third with 14.46.

Adam Tiro also stamped his authority on the 2x2x2 Cube, prevailing over a bracket of 28 competitors across two competitive rounds. Tiro secured the title with a swift 3.00-second average and a best single of 2.31 seconds. Mohammad Ahmad Abu Hussein followed closely in second position with a 3.60 average, while Yousef Ayman Ahmad took third place averaging 4.58 seconds. The fast-paced format highlighted the exceptional reaction speeds required in high-pressure short-format speed cubing finals.

Mohammad Ahmad Abu Hussein put together a remarkable multisport campaign, capturing victories across four different categories during the weekend. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Abu Hussein outpaced nine entrants over two rounds, winning with a 16.70-second average ahead of Adam Tiro at 18.73 and Zaid Abdeen at 27.62. Abu Hussein also swept the longer and more complex puzzles, topping the 4x4x4 Cube with a 36.01 average and mastering the 12-sided Megaminx with a winning average of 58.92 seconds.

The Pyraminx brought together 27 entrants over two rounds, where Mohammad Ahmad Abu Hussein collected another gold with a crisp 5.64-second average and a single solve of 5.30 seconds. Meanwhile, Aziza Sbeih demonstrated exceptional versatility by winning three distinct events on the schedule. Sbeih claimed the Skewb crown with a 5.84 average, captured the Square-1 title in 22.83 seconds, and won the demanding 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline with a calculated winning average of 2:54.26 after solving without sight.

Beyond the championship podiums, the official WCA competition served as a proving ground for several rising solvers who delivered massive personal improvements. Osaid Ali notched a huge breakthrough in Pyraminx with a personal best of 22.01 seconds, which was 49.2 percent faster than his prior mark, alongside a 23.72-second solve in 3x3x3 Cube. Omar Mohammad Abase dropped his 3x3x3 Cube best by 47 percent down to 25.53 seconds and improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 40.7 percent to 10.65. Majd Abu Hussein trimmed his 2x2x2 Cube best by 47.3 percent to 6.56 seconds, while Arqam Awad Abd Al-Munem Abu Zeineh made a first official attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 14.28 single and improved his Pyraminx best by 46 percent down to 9.40.

Other competitors took on fresh events and expanded their competitive repertoires across the Bethlehem 2025 program. Kinan Saleem tackled seven events, posting a personal-best fifth-place finish in 3x3x3 One-Handed while recording his first ever attempts at 4x4x4 Cube in 2:01.31, 3x3x3 One-Handed in 57.20, and Skewb in 8.94. Erfan Bassomy recorded a 26.1 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Cube with a 21.42 mark and posted debut attempts of 4.37 in 2x2x2 Cube and 5.93 in Pyraminx. Mohammed Ezzat Dandis logged first official attempts of 5.68 in Pyraminx and 4.75 in 2x2x2 Cube, while Ali Abbasi cut his 3x3x3 Cube best by 36.5 percent down to 19.48 seconds and made a debut Pyraminx run of 23.20.

All 27 podium positions awarded over the competition went to solvers representing Palestine, reflecting the concentration of talent across every category. From the initial preliminary heats to the final official 3x3 results, the depth of the roster ensured that every qualification spot was hard-fought. The two days of intense solving at Bethlehem 2025 concluded with high technical standards set across both classic twisty puzzles and specialized events, establishing strong benchmarks as the 2025 cubing competition calendar moves forward.