Over 444,000 students register for Saudi National Talent Olympiad

The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) and the Ministry of Education have announced the close of registration for the inaugural National Talent Olympiad, the largest national scientific competition for middle and high school students in Saudi Arabia.

Mawhiba stated that a total of 444,134 students from 10,932 schools across the Kingdom registered for the Olympiad, with 100,095 in the scientific track "Nasmo" and 344,039 in the research track "Ibdaa." This high turnout reflects the wide participation base and the Olympiad’s growing status among national scientific competitions.

A comprehensive journey for talent discovery and development

Abdulaziz Al-Kuraidis, Secretary-General of Mawhiba, said the National Talent Olympiad represents a comprehensive educational journey that invests in the minds of Saudi youth, uncovering their scientific and creative abilities with the aim of developing their skills for global competition and contributing to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Al-Kuraidis added that the Olympiad offers students two integrated tracks to discover their abilities and develop their skills in science, mathematics, research, and innovation. He noted that the strong response demonstrates students’ and parents’ awareness of the importance of this scientific experience and the opportunities it provides to progress toward international competitions.

Strategic partnership to enhance the educational environment

Al-Kuraidis praised the strategic partnership with the Ministry of Education, noting that this collaboration has helped create a stimulating educational and research environment and expanded opportunities to discover and nurture talent across all regions of the Kingdom. This, he said, strengthens students’ abilities and paves the way for them to represent Saudi Arabia in international scientific forums.

Objectives and stages of the Olympiad

The National Talent Olympiad aims to broaden the base for discovering students with scientific talents and abilities, develop higher-order thinking, scientific research, and innovation skills, and provide a competitive and motivating environment. It also seeks to direct students’ talents toward developing solutions for developmental challenges and preparing national competencies capable of competing internationally.

Following the registration phase, students will move on to the qualification stages, which include progressive steps in both the scientific "Nasmo" and research "Ibdaa" tracks. These stages will assess and develop students’ skills, preparing them for advanced rounds, central tests, exhibitions, and ultimately the Olympiad finals.

The National Talent Olympiad was created by merging the National Scientific Creativity Olympiad (Ibdaa) and the National Science and Mathematics Olympiad (Nasmo) into a single competition, combining the discovery, development, and qualification of scientific and research talents in the Kingdom.