Saudi team wins three medals at 2026 International AI Olympiad in Astana
Saudi Arabia secured three medals at the 2026 International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence in Astana, raising its total to seven international awards.
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The Saudi national artificial intelligence team has strengthened its presence on the global scientific stage after winning three international awards at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI 2026), hosted in Astana, Kazakhstan. This achievement raises the Kingdom’s total in the competition’s history to seven international medals.
Yousef Fareed Al-Khalawi from Jeddah’s General Directorate of Education won a silver medal, while Ali Ayman Al-Khabbaz from the Eastern Province’s General Directorate of Education and Qusai Imad Jadallah from Jeddah’s General Directorate of Education each earned a bronze medal.
The Saudi team participated in the Olympiad under the supervision of the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Education and KAUST Academy. The event took place in Astana from August 2 to 8, with 108 countries participating.
With these new results, Saudi Arabia’s tally at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence has reached seven international awards, including one silver and six bronze medals. This accomplishment highlights the Kingdom’s ongoing presence in one of the world’s leading AI competitions.
The achievement follows a preparation and training program carried out by Mawhiba in partnership with the Ministry of Education, which included specialized training in AI concepts and applications such as machine learning, data analysis, algorithms, and programming, supervised by experts and academics to prepare students for international competition.
The International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) is one of the world’s most prominent competitions for high school students, focusing on developing participants’ skills in AI and its applications, as well as fostering scientific collaboration and knowledge exchange among young talents from around the globe.
This latest achievement reflects the Kingdom’s growing presence in international scientific competitions and the national efforts to identify and prepare talented students for advanced technology fields.