Minister of Industry: The ISEF 2026 awards are the fruit of national investment in human capital
Al-Khurayyif welcomed his sons and daughters, the students, expressing his pride in their honorable global achievement, after they won 24 international awards in “ISEF 2026”, and the Kingdom achieving second place globally for the third year in a row.
Creative talents
He commended the achievement of student Mohammed Nasser Al-Asmari, a student at the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu schools, for winning first place globally in computational biology and informatics. He praised the advanced educational environment in the Royal Commission cities, which serve as a leading global model for nurturing creative and innovative talent. Al-
Khuraiji emphasized that this achievement reflects the significant support provided to the nation's sons and daughters by the wise leadership – may God protect them – and represents the fruit of national investment in human capital. He noted that the Kingdom is confidently progressing towards building a knowledge-based and innovative economy through the efforts of its citizens, in an ambitious journey guided by the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
International scientific forums
He explained that the achievements of Saudi students in international scientific forums confirm that the Kingdom possesses a generation capable of competing globally and transforming knowledge into impact, and ideas into innovative solutions that contribute to supporting national development.
Minister Al-Khorayef pointed out that the industrial and mineral resources sector is working to build an enabling environment for national talent by connecting them with training, qualification, and practical experience opportunities. He emphasized the importance of the existing partnership with Mawhiba to empower gifted students and introduce them to opportunities in the industry and mining sectors through specialized programs and development initiatives. These include on-the-job training, participation in industry and mining hackathons, and benefiting from the Elite Program for Gifted Students, in addition to designing specialized programs in cooperation with international academic institutions.
The students' journey towards ISEF
The Secretary-General of Mawhiba, Abdulaziz Al-Kridis, affirmed that the students' achievements represent the culmination of a comprehensive national journey built on the partnership between Mawhiba and the Ministry of Education, along with integrated efforts with various government entities, including the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. This collaborative effort aims to cultivate a globally competitive generation of Saudi nationals in the fields of science and innovation.
Al-Kridis explained that the students' journey to ISEF began with the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity, "Ibdaa 2026," in which more than 357,000 students participated, presenting over 34,000 scientific projects. He emphasized that the students' success on the global stage reflects the high quality of the Kingdom's system for discovering and nurturing talented individuals.
Honorable national achievements
It is worth noting that the Ministry and Mawhiba maintain close cooperation to empower creative national talents in fields related to industry and mining. The Ministry has supported the Energy and Industry Leadership Track, one of the four tracks in the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity (Ibdaa), by offering specialized courses in the industry and mining sectors, holding meetings with industry leaders, and organizing field visits to factories to provide enriching practical experience. This support also includes facilitating student interaction with mentors and experts to help them develop their ideas and projects and align them with the strategic directions of industrial sectors.
The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources' reception of the Saudi Science and Engineering Team participating in ISEF 2026 is part of the Ministry's ongoing efforts to empower national talents and recognizes the honorable national achievements these students have made, which have contributed to raising the Kingdom's profile in international scientific forums.
