The city of Jeddah witnessed a significant academic and medical event with the launch of the fifth edition of the Nursing Olympiad for 2026, hosted by the College of Nursing at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. This year marks a major strategic shift, as the competition has expanded from a local to a regional level for the first time, with broad participation including 21 colleges from Saudi universities and their counterparts in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, reflecting the development of the health education system in the region.
A qualitative leap towards Gulf integration
This regional expansion comes in response to the growing need for knowledge sharing and the harmonization of healthcare standards among the Gulf countries. The university has welcomed student delegations from prestigious academic institutions, including Kuwait University, the University of Sharjah, and the Arabian Gulf University in the Kingdom of Bahrain. This initiative aims to strengthen academic and professional collaboration and create a shared platform for discussing the challenges facing the nursing profession and ways to develop it in accordance with international standards.
Clinical reality simulation and Vision 2030
The significance of this Olympiad extends beyond its role as a student competition; it serves as a practical application of the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, specifically the healthcare transformation program, which focuses on enhancing the skills of national talent. The event aims to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application through advanced clinical simulation scenarios. Students face realistic challenges, including providing care for complex wounds, administering medications, and handling emergencies, ensuring graduates are ready to enter the job market immediately and effectively.
Methodology of competition and skills development
Dr. Hind Al-Najjar, Dean of the College of Nursing, explained that the Olympiad was designed to be a comprehensive educational platform that goes beyond traditional exams. The competitions include:
- Multiple-choice tests to measure cognitive output.
- Sections dedicated to critical thinking and problem-solving.
- Essay scenarios require innovative solutions to medical conditions.
Al-Najjar emphasized that this methodology contributes to honing students’ teamwork and leadership skills, which are soft skills that are no less important than medical competence in the hospital environment.
Rapid growth trajectory and Arab ambitions
In reviewing the competition's history, Dr. Iman Bajamal, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, highlighted the Olympiad's rapid growth. The first edition began with only three universities from the Makkah region, expanding to 19 universities last year, and now reaching its peak with 21 Gulf colleges participating. The college administration revealed future aspirations to broaden participation in upcoming editions to include all Arab countries, thus transforming Jeddah into a regional center of excellence in nursing education.
Unifying health visions
For her part, Dr. Suad Al-Fadhli, Head of the Nursing Department at Kuwait University, emphasized the importance of this Gulf presence. She indicated that the participation aims to build a strong professional and research network and unify educational visions to serve the Gulf healthcare system as a whole, stressing that the exchange of best practices between students and academics will raise the quality of healthcare provided to citizens in the GCC countries.
