Saudi informatics team to compete at 2026 International Olympiad in Uzbekistan

The Saudi informatics team departed today for Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to participate in the 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026), which will be held from August 9 to 16, 2026, with students representing around 100 countries worldwide.

The Kingdom is represented this year by a team of four high school students, who were trained and prepared under the supervision of the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), in partnership with the Ministry of Education, as part of the Mawhiba International Olympiads Program.

The team includes Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Aiban and Saad Bandar Al-Arifi from the Riyadh Education Directorate, Mohammed Nasser Al-Asmari from the Royal Commission for Jubail Education Directorate, and Al-Tayyib Ahmed Al-Akhdari from the Jeddah Education Directorate.

Saudi Arabia’s participation history

This year marks the Kingdom’s eighth appearance at the International Olympiad in Informatics, following seven previous participations in which Saudi students earned 11 international awards, including seven bronze medals and four certificates of merit.

Training and preparation program

The participating students underwent a comprehensive training and qualification journey, which included a series of intensive training camps and qualifying competitions to assess their levels and select the top performers. They also took part in simulation contests aimed at developing problem-solving skills and strategic thinking, culminating in the selection of the national team members for the Olympiad.

About the International Olympiad in Informatics

The International Olympiad in Informatics, first held in Bulgaria in 1989, is one of the world’s leading scientific competitions in computer science for high school students. Participants compete individually to solve problems that require advanced skills in problem analysis, algorithm design, data structures, programming, and solution testing and verification.

The Olympiad aims to identify young talent in informatics, develop their logical thinking and problem-solving abilities, encourage them to specialize in computer science, and foster communication and knowledge exchange among students, professionals, and informatics teachers from around the world.