In a continued effort to promote creativity, Saudi Arabia awards 18 prizes to international talents at “ISEF 2025.”

In a continued effort to foster talent and creativity, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Talent and Creativity (Mawhiba), presented 18 special awards at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2025, taking place in Columbus, Ohio from May 10 to 16. Since 2010, Mawhiba has been awarding various accolades at the fair, recognizing projects that align with the Kingdom’s interests and enhance its reputation in international scientific forums.

During a special award ceremony, Mawhiba announced the allocation of 12 fully-funded scholarships for undergraduate studies at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, along with six scholarships for participants to join the Mawhiba Global Talent Program.

Among the scholarship recipients from King Fahd University were Thomas Machingaidzi from Zimbabwe, who excelled in biomedical engineering; Anna Bodmanikova from Slovakia, recognized for her work in environmental engineering; and Joria Ang from Singapore, who contributed significantly to materials science. Additionally, Arnur Jumabekov from Kazakhstan received an award in the field of robotics and smart devices.

In the software systems category, awards were garnered by Gigi Niamibiri from Zimbabwe and Yoonha Lee from South Korea. In the realm of social and behavioral sciences, the award was presented to Aya Alghosani from Qatar, while Leonard Waltziki from the Czech Republic triumphed in computational biology and bioinformatics. Ryan Chifji from Turkey earned recognition in the field of chemistry.

In the embedded systems sector, the award went to Dhanvin Ramesh Kumar from Singapore, and in the energy category, it was jointly awarded to Timofei Mishuk from Ukraine and Jose Rodriguez Munoz from Puerto Rico.

Concurrently, the Mawhiba Global Talent Program awards were conferred to Imran Al-Turkestani from Saudi Arabia for his work in energy, and Mohammed Takkari from Tunisia in robotics and smart devices. Lana Nouri from Saudi Arabia was recognized in the field of translational medical sciences, while Maura Mohr McKeon from Ireland excelled in biomedical engineering, alongside students Khoa Nguyen and Ani Pham from Vietnam. The materials science award also honored Abdulrahman Alghnam from Saudi Arabia.

According to Eng. Anas Al-Hanihan, Director of Research Programs and Innovation Development at Mawhiba, this initiative aims to attract talented individuals and innovators from around the globe, promoting scientific collaboration between the Kingdom and the international community in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to build a thriving knowledge-based society.

The ISEF stands out as the largest global platform for research projects by school students, where participants are evaluated by a distinguished panel of international scientists and experts. This offers contestants a unique opportunity to showcase their scientific abilities to a worldwide audience of specialists.

The Kingdom has been participating in the ISEF since 2007, represented by Mawhiba and the Ministry of Education. This year, Saudi Arabia’s delegation comprises 40 students, who will compete against over 1,700 participants from 70 countries. The involvement in ISEF not only highlights the talent of Saudi youth but also emphasizes the Kingdom’s commitment to education, innovation, and international collaboration in scientific research. Through such initiatives, Saudi Arabia aims to empower the next generation, paving the way for a vibrant future rooted in knowledge and creativity on a global scale.