RIYADH — A total of 35 outstanding Saudi boy and girl students are preparing to leave for the United States of America on Friday to attend the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2023. The Regeneron ISEF 2023, the world's largest pre-college STEM competition, will take place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas, from May 14 to 19. The Saudi science and engineering team will compete with 1,800 students, representing 70 countries. They were chosen from among 40 winners of the major prizes in the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity (Ibdaa) 2023. The Regeneron ISEF finalists will compete for nearly $9 million in awards, prizes and scholarships. Saudi Arabia will be represented by the King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) and the Ministry of Education in the world's largest science fair. Ibdaa is one among 20 different programs offered annually by Mawhiba for gifted students who are picked annually in the Kingdom. Dr. Amal bint Abdullah Al-Hazaa, secretary general of Mawhiba, said that the Saudi team for science and engineering represents the elite students of the Kingdom who have reached this stage after a long journey of training, qualification and participation in Mawhiba programs. She said that these programs qualify them and enable them to reach a higher scientific and research level. Dr. Amal expressed confidence that the talented Saudi students will bring laurels to the Kingdom this year also. Saudi students bagged a record number of 22 prizes during the ISEF 2022, and these included 16 grand awards, offered by the competition organizers, and six special awards, offered by local and international organizations. This year's Saudi team members were nominated, after an intensive series of training at the hands of a group of Saudi and foreign trainers, including academics, experts and arbitrators in various disciplines. It is noteworthy that the members of the Saudi science and engineering team were nominated from among the 146,000 boy and girl students who had registered for the Ibdaa Olympiad 2023, with scientific projects that covered 21 scientific fields.
