The decisive judging phase for the Saudi national science and engineering team's projects at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF 2024), held in Los Angeles, California, has begun. The Saudi students are participating in this prestigious global competition with a delegation of 42 students, presenting 40 high-quality scientific projects across 22 different research fields to an international judging panel comprised of more than 1,200 leading scientists, experts, and academics from around the world.
The exhibition halls host intensive evaluation sessions where Saudi students present their research and innovations, the product of months of dedicated work, and answer questions from expert judges, highlighting the scientific methodologies they employed and the results they achieved. This stage represents the culmination of the competition, which includes over 1,700 students from approximately 70 countries, all vying for prestigious awards that will open up vast opportunities in their scientific and academic careers.
What is ISEF International Exhibition?
The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is the world’s largest and most prestigious pre-college science competition. Founded in 1950 and administered by the Society for Science, ISEF aims to encourage millions of students to explore their passion for science and engineering. Over the decades, ISEF has become a global platform for launching the careers of many outstanding scientists, engineers, and innovators, providing a unique opportunity for young people to showcase their original research and network with Nobel laureates and leaders in the technology industry.
Saudi national team's journey towards global recognition
Participation in ISEF 2024 was not a coincidence, but rather the culmination of a long and arduous journey that began with the largest local competition of its kind, the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity, "Ibdaa." The forty projects representing the Saudi team were selected from among more than 210,000 projects submitted in the initial stages of this year's Ibdaa Olympiad. The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), in partnership with the Ministry of Education, sponsored and trained these students through intensive training programs supervised by experts and academics to ensure their readiness to compete according to the highest international standards.
The importance and impact of Saudi participation
Saudi Arabia’s participation in a scientific event of this magnitude holds strategic importance that extends beyond winning awards. Domestically, this participation reflects the success of investments in human capital and aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to build a knowledge-based economy. It also inspires thousands of students in the Kingdom to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Internationally, the Kingdom’s successive achievements at ISEF reinforce its position as a leading regional power in talent development and scientific research, and project a positive image of the capabilities of Saudi youth to contribute to global scientific advancement.
A history full of achievements
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia began participating in the ISEF exhibition in 2007, and since then, its students have achieved a distinguished record of accomplishments. In its previous participations, the Kingdom has garnered a total of 185 awards, including 124 major awards and 61 special awards. In a remarkable historical achievement, at last year's ISEF 2023, the Kingdom ranked second globally in the number of major awards, after the United States, surpassing countries with long-established reputations in this field. This underscores the qualitative development of Saudi projects and their high level of competitiveness.
