Jeddah Nursing Olympics 2026: A Gulf competition to enhance healthcare competencies
The city of Jeddah witnessed a significant academic and medical event with the launch of the fifth edition of the Nursing Olympiad in 2026, hosted by King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. This event marks a milestone in the Kingdom's medical education, as it represents the first time the Olympiad has expanded regionally to include participants from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, thus transcending its usual local scope.
A qualitative leap towards regionalism
In a move reflecting the development of the health education system in Saudi Arabia, the Olympiad expanded from a local competition to a regional one, with broad participation including 21 nursing colleges. The university hosted student teams from prestigious academic institutions, including Kuwait University and the University of Sharjah from the United Arab Emirates, and the Arabian Gulf University from the Kingdom of Bahrain. This expansion aims to strengthen academic and professional cooperation among the Gulf countries and to exchange educational expertise to raise the standards of nursing college graduates in the region.
Keeping pace with the goals of Vision 2030
The organization of this event aligns with the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, specifically the Health Sector Transformation Program, which focuses on improving healthcare services and enhancing the efficiency of national talent. Through this event, the College of Nursing at King Saud University for Health Sciences (National Guard) aims to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, contributing to the graduation of qualified nursing professionals capable of effectively addressing contemporary healthcare challenges.
An educational platform based on clinical simulation
The Nursing Olympiad is more than just a traditional competition; it's a comprehensive educational platform that utilizes the latest clinical simulation technologies. The competitions include realistic scenarios that mimic the hospital environment, such as providing advanced wound care, administering medications to patients with precision, and handling emergencies. This methodology aims to hone students' critical thinking skills and enhance their ability to make sound clinical decisions under pressure.
Highly competitive and standardized tests
The competition structure includes multiple-choice tests that measure knowledge acquisition, as well as sections dedicated to innovation and problem-solving, where students are required to develop creative solutions to complex medical scenarios. Dr. Hind Al-Najjar, Dean of the College of Nursing, explained that the event primarily focuses on fostering teamwork, emphasizing that the outcomes of this Olympiad directly contribute to the development of academic programs based on student performance analysis and recorded feedback.
Future aspirations for unifying health visions
For her part, Dr. Iman Bajamal, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, noted the rapid growth of the Olympiad, which began with the participation of only three universities from the Makkah region, reaching 19 universities last year, before achieving its major leap this year with the inclusion of Gulf universities. Similarly, Dr. Suad Al-Fadhli, Head of the Nursing Department at Kuwait University, affirmed that participation aims to unify educational visions and build a research network that serves the Gulf healthcare system. The college administration revealed its ambitions to expand participation in future editions to include all Arab countries, in order to disseminate benefits and exchange global best practices in the field of nursing.
