A five-year program to support gifted and creative students is going to be launched in 2019 by King Abdul Aziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba).
“Mawhiba3” is part of a strategy to support a creative society by fostering a critical mass of gifted and talented young leaders who are innovative, highly educated and well-trained to support sustained growth and prosperity in the Kingdom.
According to a press release issued by Mawhiba, the plan will be launched in 2019 and will run until 2023. It aims “to achieve excellence in its offering to gifted and talented students, as well as empowering them to leverage national human capacities to the maximum,” said the statement.
Mawhiba also endeavors to enable educational institutions to actively participate in fostering gifted and creative people, in accordance with the best international practices.
Mawhiba Secretary-General Saud Al-Mathami said while the first two initiatives laid the foundations, “the third plan will focus more on excellence, empowerment in services, and investing in Mawhiba’s outputs, so as to achieve Vision 2030, in line with its various programs.
“Mawhiba will also focus on investing in its talented and creative students through academic and professional guidance, by linking them to the labor market and employers. It will also invest in the national database of talented and gifted people to ensure the fullest support and the optimal use of the talents that have been nurtured over several years,” according to the Mawhiba secretary general.
He added that the project will strengthen its international presence in conferences and events and promote international partnerships with leading organizations in this field worldwide.
He said: “Mawhiba strives to support the long-term vision of talent and creativity in Saudi Arabia and is a key participant in the current institutional system fostering gifted education in the Kingdom.”
Al-Mathami continued: “By focusing on discovering and caring for gifted students, Mawhiba provides services to meet the cognitive, psychological and social needs of high-potential students.”
Mawhiba’s strategic plan was drawn up after examining best practice internationally as well as through assessing the educational needs of gifted people in Saudi Arabia, Al-Mathami noted.
