πŸ“ Riyadh β€” Rabi' II 28, 1447 AH (October 20, 2025)

Exhibitions for the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity "Ibda' 2026" open tomorrow across 16 education regions throughout the Kingdom, organized by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) in partnership with the Ministry of Education, aiming to discover gifted students and help them turn their ideas into innovative scientific projects that serve the nation and humanity.

The regional exhibitions represent the second stage of the Olympiad, following the registration and training stages and preceding the electronic submission of projects, giving students the chance to present their projects to specialized judging panels made up of academics, teachers and experts who evaluate the projects and help improve their quality.

"Ibda' 2026" has seen unprecedented participation this year, with more than 357,000 students registered from across the Kingdom's regions β€” a 22.7 percent increase compared with last year β€” underscoring the growing awareness of the importance of scientific research and innovation, and the deepening culture of creativity and academic excellence among Saudi youth.

The National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity "Ibda'" aims to discover and nurture gifted students in science and technology fields, hone their research skills, and enable them to take part in major international scientific events, most notably the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in the United States.

The Olympiad unfolds over several stages spanning nine months, beginning with online registration, followed by training and orientation lectures, then regional exhibitions, then electronic judging, before reaching the central exhibitions held in a number of major Saudi cities. Through this process, the top projects are nominated to take part in the final stage of the Ibda' Science and Engineering Fair, ahead of selecting qualifiers for international programs, most notably the global ISEF fair.

The organization of "Ibda' 2026" reflects the integration between Mawhiba and the Ministry of Education in discovering and empowering gifted students, within a comprehensive national system aimed at building an innovative generation aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, contributing to the knowledge economy and strengthening the Kingdom's leadership in research and innovation.