How Saudi students are tapping into their networks to pave their journey to national recognition

Every year the Saudi non-profit organisation, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions’ Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (known as Mawhiba) send a team of elite secondary students to compete in a global science and engineering fair in the USA. Through the preparatory program known as Saudi National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity (Ibdaa) the students prepare their research projects, finesse their methodological choices and rehearse their scientific pitches. They find themselves in the company of peers that provide a support network that carries them through the ups and downs of the competition.

In this blog, we follow the journey of 390 students as they are narrowed down to 35 finalists who will travel to Los Angeles, California to compete in the 2024 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, where 1600 students from over 80 countries compete for awards that recognise their innovation in different STEM fields.

We kicked off our project in December 2023, visiting the central exhibitions in Dammam and Jeddah. As we follow the students, we will create a documentary about the journey of Saudi students to ISEF, as well as seek a deeper understanding of the role their social connections play in this journey.