WASHINGTON: The Saudi team bagged 27 awards – including 18 major and nine special prizes - at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, state news agency SPA reported on Saturday.
The science and engineering team outperformed more than 1,700 students from over 70 countries in the ISEF 2024 event, which was held from May 10 to May 17 in Los Angeles, US.
In the major awards, the Saudi team won two second-place prizes, six third-place prizes and 10 fourth-place prizes.
Second place winners were Hamad Al-Husseini in energy, and Abeer Al-Yousef in chemistry.
Third place was rewarded to Elias Khan in biomedical and health sciences; Suleiman Al-Masned and Latifa Al-Ghanam in energy; Turki Al-Dalami in environmental engineering; Tahani Ahmed in materials science; and Laila Zawawi in translational medical sciences.
Fourth place winners were: Nasser Al-Sowayan in biomedical engineering; Lana Al-Mazroui in cellular and molecular Biology; Yara Al-Qadi and Yara Al-Bakri in earth and environmental sciences; Shouq Al-Mutlaq in energy; Asma Al-Qusair in environmental engineering; Arij Al-Qarni and Lana Al-Fahid in materials science; and Layan Al-Malki and Tamara Radi in plant sciences.
Amal bint Abdullah Al-Hazzaa, secretary-general of King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, or Mawhiba, said the victory reflects joint efforts and commitment to achieving the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030, in nurturing the human capital to build a vibrant society and thriving economy.
She noted that the success was the outcome of a strategic collaboration between Mawhiba and the Ministry of Education, and the capabilities that the national system provides to empower students and boost their presence in international forums.
The Saudi Science and Engineering team now holds 160 prizes from the special awards, including 110 major and 50 special prizes, from their participation in the ISEF.
Regeneron ISEF 2024, the world’s largest pre-college STEM competition, took place from May 11-17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
The ISEF is an annual science fair in the US. It is owned and administered by the Society for Science, a 501 non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C.
