logo
Saudi students win 7 awards at STEM contests

Saudi students win 7 awards at STEM contests

Arab News4 days ago
JEDDAH: Saudi students secured seven international awards at the International Mathematical Olympiad on the Sunshine Coast, Australia, and the European Girls' Olympiad in Informatics in Bonn, Germany.
Their participation was overseen by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, known as Mawhiba, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
They won six awards at the maths contest — three bronze medals and three honorable mentions — competing against 630 students from 110 countries.
Bronze medals were awarded to students from the Royal Commission for Yanbu, Madinah, and the Eastern Province education directorates. Honorable mentions went to participants from Jeddah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province.
Since joining the competition, Saudi Arabia's tally has grown to 12 silver medals, 48 bronze medals, and 22 honorable mentions.
At the informatics event, Saudi student Riefal Khaled Al-Hazmi, from Tabuk, won a bronze medal in a field with 226 participants from 60.
Mawhiba, together with the Ministry of Education and national partners, continues to develop initiatives that equip Saudi students with world-class skills, enhancing the Kingdom's position in science and technology worldwide.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

From expulsion to AI success — how a Saudi student's journey is inspiring a generation
From expulsion to AI success — how a Saudi student's journey is inspiring a generation

Arab News

time16 hours ago

  • Arab News

From expulsion to AI success — how a Saudi student's journey is inspiring a generation

ALKHOBAR: In June, a student research team at King Saud University quietly presented their breakthrough — a Saudi-built artificial intelligence agent named Mantiq. Mantiq successfully solved 84 out of 120 abstract puzzles and scored a 70 percent accuracy rate on the global Abstraction and Reasoning Corpus benchmark in a challenge widely recognized among leading artificial general intelligence researchers around the world. But behind the results was something just as compelling — a group of young Saudis that included a once-expelled university student who rebuilt his future line by line, code by code. Abdullah Al-Refai, 24, is a software engineering student at Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd University in Dhahran. With no official title, no funding, and no affiliation to a major lab, he represents a growing generation determined to push boundaries in the most advanced frontiers of AI. 'We may not have the same resources as big tech labs, but we have vision and we're proving that brilliance can come from anywhere — even a small research group in Saudi Arabia,' he said. Al-Refai's journey was far from linear; it was full of detours, setbacks and moments of deep personal doubt. First, he enrolled at Dammam Community College, where he excelled. His performance earned him a transfer to King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, one of the top institutions in the Kingdom. But the transition proved overwhelming. Battling depression and struggling to adjust, his grades declined and, following a difficult time, he left. 'Getting expelled broke me. I felt like everything I had worked for was gone. But over time, I realized that failure doesn't define you — how you respond to it does,' said Al-Refai. Determined not to give up, he later enrolled at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, a smaller, private center, and supported himself by working at Jarir Bookstore. As he regained his academic footing, Al-Refai rediscovered his love of technology. His coding journey had started years earlier when he received a Dell PC in sixth grade and began experimenting with Java programming to create modifications for popular video game Minecraft. A turning point came when he started a part-time AI research role at PMU. Soon after he met his mentor, Sulaiman Ureiga, who invited him to join a student-led research group focused on AGI. Unlike traditional AI systems, which rely on massive datasets, AGI aims to mimic human thought, reasoning and learning, and adapt with minimal input. It is a field into which tech giants like OpenAI and DeepMind have poured billions. In Saudi Arabia, Al-Refai and his team are approaching the same goal with minimal resources other than passion, perseverance and belief. Their focus has been the ARC challenge developed by Google researcher François Chollet, which tests a model's ability to solve logic puzzles using abstraction, not memorization. When the team presented the first phase of their research, an AGI-1 prototype that solved 70 percent of the test puzzles within minutes, it was a proud moment. 'Standing there at King Saud University, presenting our agent and (seeing) it solve 70 percent of the ARC-1 tasks, I knew this was bigger than a research demo. It was proof that Saudi youth can build world-class AI,' said Al-Refai. His motivation goes beyond personal achievement, however; he sees his story as a blueprint for others, proof that failure is not final and that Saudi youth can lead global conversations on AI. His team is already working on the next phases of their research, hoping to improve the model's reasoning capabilities and publish in an academic forum. They have also created educational posters, hosted sessions and spoken at local events to spread awareness and encourage others to explore AI. 'My dream is that when people around the world talk about the future of AI, they mention Saudi Arabia — not just for investments, but for real innovation and breakthroughs,' said Al-Refai. All this comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is pouring historic levels of investment into emerging technologies. In May, the Kingdom announced a $600 billion strategy in AI and digital transformation, reinforcing its ambition to become a global innovation hub. While high-level partnerships and summits dominate headlines, stories like Al-Refai's reveal a parallel transformation, one happening from the ground up, driven by students, self-learners and quiet researchers working after hours in labs and dorm rooms. 'If I can come back from academic failure and end up contributing to AGI research, anyone can,' said Al-Refai. 'We just need to believe in ourselves and build with purpose. We are capable of greatness. We always have been, and we always will be.'

Saudi Reef Launches Project to Boost Coffee Tree Productivity by 30%
Saudi Reef Launches Project to Boost Coffee Tree Productivity by 30%

Asharq Al-Awsat

timea day ago

  • Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Reef Launches Project to Boost Coffee Tree Productivity by 30%

The Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program (Saudi Reef), in collaboration with the National Research and Development Center for Sustainable Agriculture (Estidamah), has launched an innovative project to enhance the production of coffee seedlings using tissue culture technology. The project aims to increase the productivity of coffee trees by 30% and to plant some 50,000 seedlings by the end of 2025, SPA reported. Saudi Reef Spokesperson Majid Al-Buraikan said the coffee tree tissue culture project has achieved several tangible results. These include the re-evaluation of 82 previously selected genetic patterns, which were consolidated into 12 genetic groups based on morphological similarities. The production of seedlings from cuttings of selected genetic types has also begun, with 1,000 cuttings planted to produce 1,000 traceable seedlings. Al-Buraikan noted that disease-resistant and drought-tolerant varieties have been developed. Fourteen knowledge products have also been prepared, focusing on advanced techniques and good agricultural practices to improve coffee farms and enhance their productivity. As part of the project, the technical review of the coffee cultivation guide has been completed, and a book on coffee resources has been prepared as a primary reference for coffee production and post-harvest operations management in the Kingdom. Four study tours—both domestic and international—were also conducted, with over 109 farmers participating. These visits included experimental fields, demonstration farms, and cooperatives, allowing farmers to learn about modern practices and technologies and apply them to their farms. Al-Buraikan pointed out that the initiative also included organizing workshops and scientific seminars to train and qualify farmers and stakeholders, covering more than 200 farmers, as well as participating in numerous international conferences, forums, and exhibitions related to the coffee sector to exchange expertise and stay up to date on industry developments.

Saudi Arabia launches AI readiness index to accelerate government tech transformation
Saudi Arabia launches AI readiness index to accelerate government tech transformation

Arab News

timea day ago

  • Arab News

Saudi Arabia launches AI readiness index to accelerate government tech transformation

RIYADH: Saudi government agencies are set to advance artificial intelligence adoption through a new index that measures readiness and supports the development of innovative, data-driven solutions across key sectors. The National Artificial Intelligence Index, inaugurated by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, is designed to assess the maturity of AI implementation across government entities. More than 180 representatives participated in the first measurement cycle, which also aims to provide tailored recommendations and track progress regularly, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The initiative supports broader government targets, including ranking among the top 15 countries globally in AI, top 10 in the Open Data Index, and top 20 in data and AI-related publications under the National Strategy for Data and Artificial Intelligence. AI is projected to contribute $235.2 billion, or 12.4 percent, to Saudi Arabia's gross domestic product by 2030, according to estimates by PwC. 'The index aims to unify government efforts and national priorities in the field of AI and provide the enabling capabilities to enable government agencies to adopt and develop effective and sustainable AI products and solutions that contribute to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030,' SPA said. It added: 'The index is based on three main pillars, seven main axes, and 23 sub-fields to ensure a comprehensive measurement of government agencies' AI readiness.' This forms part of SDAIA's broader mandate as the Kingdom's national authority for data and AI development and regulation. It is intended to strengthen institutional performance and drive public-sector innovation. The newly launched index also provides results reflecting the maturity of AI adoption within government agencies, along with the necessary support to enhance their capabilities and further develop innovative solutions that sustain national efforts and expand their impact in priority sectors. As part of its continuous efforts to improve institutional excellence, SDAIA was recently awarded two international accreditation certificates by the Global Excellence Assembly, a body that specializes in developing and evaluating institutional excellence models. The recognition highlights SDAIA's alignment with international best practices in the design and governance of award models, as well as the transparency and impartiality of its evaluation and selection processes. SDAIA is also engaging the public to shape the future of digital services. The authority earlier this month launched an electronic consultation to gather public opinion on the Ehsan National Platform for Charitable Work, inviting citizens and residents to share their views on which service is most in need of improvement.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store