The Saudi National Artificial Intelligence Team achieved a remarkable milestone by winning four global bronze medals in its debut at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI 2025), hosted in Beijing, China, from August 2 to 9, 2025. The competition brought together 284 students from 85 countries.

Ali Ayman Al-Khabbaz (General Directorate of Education in the Eastern Province), Qusai Imad Jadallah (General Directorate of Education in Jeddah), Ali Abdulhadi Al-Salman (General Directorate of Education in the Eastern Province), and Muadh Ali Al-Qarni (General Directorate of Education in Bisha ), each earned a bronze medal – an achievement that reflects the growing competence of Saudi students in modern technological fields.

The IOAI targets the world’s most gifted students in artificial intelligence, nominated through national competitions, to compete in a scientific environment that fosters knowledge exchange and the building of international academic networks. This environment strengthens young people’s ability to harness AI technologies for the benefit of humanity and sustainable development.

Saudi Arabia was represented by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Education and KAUST Academy, as part of a comprehensive national program to foster giftedness, promote innovation, and meet the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 toward building a knowledge-based economy.

The IOAI is a global scientific platform for students in grades 10-12, designed to develop computational and algorithmic thinking, enhance programming and AI application skills, and emphasize innovation and ethical responsibility.

Launched in Bulgaria in 2024, the IOAI aspires to become a world’s prominent scientific competition in both participation and challenge, through collaborations with international organizations and AI experts.

The Kingdom’s participation in this prestigious scientific event is part of Mawhiba’s ongoing efforts, in collaboration with its partners, to empower gifted students to compete globally in technology and artificial intelligence, supporting the nation’s drive toward building an advanced national innovation ecosystem and leading the future of technology.