Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in the WAICY 2025 competition with 26 awards
In a historic achievement reflecting the fruits of its ambitious national vision, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia secured first place globally in the World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY 2025), winning 26 diverse awards. This triumph was not a coincidence, but rather the culmination of continuous efforts that have placed the Kingdom at the forefront of the global technological landscape, surpassing major powers in this field. The United States came in second place, followed by Indonesia in third.
Context of achievement: From establishment to global leadership
This remarkable achievement is the culmination of a strategic journey that began with the launch of Vision 2030, which prioritized the data and artificial intelligence sector to diversify the economy and build a knowledge-based society. The establishment of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) was a pivotal turning point, as the Authority fostered an environment conducive to young talent, enabling the Kingdom to move from participation to competition and dominance in global competitions in record time.
Details of Saudi dominance in WAICY
The Kingdom continued to solidify its position in this competition, which was launched in 2017 at Carnegie Mellon University in the United States. After achieving first place for three consecutive years, the 2025 edition witnessed a significant leap in performance, with Saudi students competing against more than 132,000 students representing 103 countries worldwide. The Saudi projects were distinguished by their innovation and ability to provide practical solutions, reflecting the maturity of the Saudi experience in artificial intelligence education.
Paths to competition and technical excellence
The competition included four main tracks in which the Kingdom's youth demonstrated exceptional skill, namely:
- Artificial intelligence applications for solving real-world problems.
- AI-generated art.
- Applications of Large Language Models (LLMs).
- AI-generated video.
This diversity in pathways confirms the comprehensiveness of the training that students receive in the Kingdom, which is not limited to programming only, but extends to include artistic creativity and digital ethics.
Future impact: A generation leading digital transformation
The significance of this victory extends far beyond the medals themselves, encompassing a long-term economic and intellectual impact. Past experience has shown that projects from the WAICY competition often evolve into promising startups that attract foreign investment. Furthermore, graduates of these competitions are sought after by prestigious universities worldwide, such as MIT, Stanford, and Harvard, indicating that the Kingdom is building a solid foundation of human talent capable of leading the future of artificial intelligence not only locally but also globally.
SDAIA's role in shaping the future
The Saudi Data & Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) played a pivotal role in this achievement by adopting the competition and supporting participants with various resources, as part of its efforts to raise awareness of artificial intelligence technologies and encourage the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This institutional support ensures the sustainability of Saudi excellence and enhances the readiness of future generations to face the challenges of tomorrow with modern and innovative tools.
