Saudi AI Team Wins 3 Medals at IOAI 2026

The Saudi national artificial intelligence team secured one silver medal and two bronze medals at the 2026 International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI 2026), held in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan, from 2 to 8 August 2026. The third edition of the event brought together 108 participating countries.

Yousef Fareed Al-Khalawi, from the Jeddah General Directorate of Education, claimed a silver medal. Ali Ayman Al-Khabbaz, from the Eastern Province General Directorate of Education, and Qusai Imad Jadallah, also from Jeddah, each won a bronze medal.

The team is supervised by King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Education and KAUST Academy, which oversee the training and preparation of the Kingdom's young talents in the field.

At IOAI, gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the top 50% of participants, distributed in a ratio of 1:2:3 respectively. With this year's results, Saudi Arabia's cumulative record at the competition reached seven international awards: one silver medal and six bronze medals.

Why it matters

The achievement reflects the growing investment in nurturing young Saudi talent in advanced technology and artificial intelligence, a key area within the Kingdom's broader development goals. For students, families and educators across the country, the results highlight the expanding opportunities available to gifted learners on the international stage.

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