Under the patronage of the Deputy Emir of the Makkah Region, Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz, and on his behalf, the Governor of Jeddah, Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, inaugurated yesterday (Monday) the competitions of the third edition of the International Nuclear Science Olympiad (INSO 2026), in the presence of Minister of Education Yusuf Al-Bunyan, Secretary-General of the "Mawhiba" Foundation Abdulaziz Al-Khraidis, and a number of princes, officials, experts, and representatives from local and international organizations.

The ceremony began with a speech from the Minister of Education, in which he expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince for the issuance of the gracious royal approval to host the global event in the Kingdom.

He affirmed that the approval to host the International Nuclear Science Olympiad, along with the patronage of the Deputy Emir of the Makkah Region and the presence of the Governor of Jeddah, reflects the support and interest that the education, research, and innovation sector enjoys, pointing out that the Olympiad represents a global platform to inspire a new generation of scientists and researchers, enhance international cooperation, and prepare national competencies capable of contributing to the development of peaceful and safe uses of nuclear technologies.

The Minister of Education said: The holding of this Olympiad in Saudi Arabia confirms the Kingdom's advanced position and continues its distinguished record in hosting and organizing scientific Olympiads, indicating that the strategies of the Ministry of Education are closely integrated with national trends to discover and nurture young talents, and build a comprehensive educational system that focuses on advanced sciences and their peaceful applications; to provide an encouraging environment for innovation by offering promising opportunities in precise scientific fields that have a direct developmental impact on human life.

Utilizing Nuclear Technologies for Humanity

The Deputy Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and Head of the Technical Cooperation Division, Hua Liu, delivered a recorded speech congratulating the Kingdom on hosting the Olympiad, praising the efforts of the organizing bodies in making this international event a success, affirming that the competitions contribute to establishing a culture of science, and preparing a generation of specialists capable of utilizing nuclear technologies in the fields of health, food security, water resources, environmental protection, and clean energy, thus supporting sustainable development goals.

A Platform for Building Knowledge

Dr. Maya Al-Azri, Chair of the Steering Committee for the International Nuclear Science Olympiad, confirmed that hosting the Kingdom represents a new phase in the Olympiad's journey and reflects its commitment to supporting sciences and empowering youth, noting that the Olympiad is not limited to being a scientific competition but serves as a platform for building knowledge, exchanging experiences, and enhancing cooperation among the youth of the world, and instilling values of innovation to serve humanity.

The opening ceremony featured a presentation of the participating countries, along with a national operetta that reflected the diversity of the Kingdom's cultural heritage and its authenticity, followed by the taking of commemorative photos.

Hosting for the First Time

The Olympiad, hosted by the Kingdom for the first time, is an international scientific event that highlights its position in supporting sciences and innovation, and enhances its presence in hosting global scientific events, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. It is organized jointly by the Ministry of Education, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), and the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, with King Abdulaziz University hosting the competitions from August 2 to 9, 2026, with the participation of about 120 students and scientific specialists from 19 countries.

The International Nuclear Science Olympiad (INSO) is one of the most prominent international scientific competitions aimed at high school students, aiming to promote the peaceful and safe use of nuclear technologies, develop students' skills in nuclear sciences, stimulate them for innovation and scientific research, and prepare a generation of competencies capable of contributing to finding scientific solutions that serve sustainable development at the global level.

Four Gifted Saudi Students

The Kingdom is represented in the competitions by four gifted students: Amjad Mahmoud Issa Al-Darwish from the Eastern Province General Directorate of Education, Juna Al-Saleh Abdullah Al-Sabeel from the Jeddah General Directorate of Education, Abdulaziz Abdulmohsen Al-Sharid from the Ahsa General Directorate of Education, and Saleh Mubarak Daif Allah Al-Harbi from the Royal Commission for Jubail General Directorate of Education.

The selection of the members of the Saudi team came after they passed advanced stages of nomination and evaluation, followed by an intensive training program implemented by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) in partnership with the Ministry of Education; aimed at enhancing their scientific readiness and strengthening their analytical and problem-solving skills, enabling them to compete efficiently in the Olympiad.