Saudis’ instinctive creativity attracts global attention
Recent years have witnessed a scientific boom in the Kingdom, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, and His Royal Highness (HRH) the Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, by encouraging the youth of the country and providing them with the opportunity to participate in shaping the future of the Kingdom through their actions and initiatives to achieve the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
In 2022, Western media highlighted a new achievement by one of the daughters of the Kingdom, who was able to obtain a research grant from the Office of the US Secretary of Defense, which is granted to people who have genius and the ability to serve scientific research around the world.
Basma bint Ibrahim Al-Khanjar, a Saudi student studying computer science at Florida Atlantic University in the United States on scholarship from Al-Jouf University, received a research grant that falls within the program.
Knowing that scholarship is currently underway, in search of employing the “Internet of things” in military battles, and the use of security technologies to maintain, secure, and retrieve the sites of military equipment and soldiers from trusted authorities, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
On the other hand, Basma al-Khanjar was not the first among the people of the Kingdom who were able to raise the flag of their country with scientific achievements that dazzled everyone and revealed creative minds that can lead the country towards the future, with the generous support of the King and His Highness the Crown Prince, who emphasized more than once their full support for the creators of the sons and daughters of the Kingdom.
22 awards at ISEF 2022
Saudi students receive more than 20 awards at ISEF 2022.
It is the largest competition held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, from May 7 to 13 in 2022 This is after a fierce competition with 2,000 students from 70 countries around the world, over a week.
During the competition period, the people of the Kingdom showed their excellence in various fields, and the results of the strong competition came to confirm that this great effort came as a result of preparation and qualification by the King Abdulaziz Foundation and the Men of Giftedness and Creativity “Mawhiba”, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, and according to a road map that leads the country to progress and prosperity in all fields, which is the Kingdom’s 2030 vision.
Dana Al-Eithan won first place in chemistry, while Areej Bajwi won fourth place in the same field. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi won the Young Scientist Award in the field of energy, while Faisal Al-Ghamdi won fourth place in the field of plant sciences.
Mansour Al Marzouki won second place in environmental engineering, while Mawadda Omar won third place in science and behavior.
The smartest kid in the world
Also, in 2022, the Saudi student Turki, who is studying at the primary level, won second place in the world in a mathematics competition. This represents another achievement added to the Kingdom’s achievements in various fields and disciplines.
The genius child revealed that he participated in the competition that was held in the UAE and obtained the algorithms course, adding that he loves mathematics very much, so he became talented in it, and noting that the competition was not difficult for him, and he also expressed his pride in what he achieved and said, “I feel that I’m proud of myself and I’m happy and I feel the first time I’ve done it.”
The most successful inventor in the world
In 2021, Saudi student Khaled Ahmed Atif at the Faculty of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, stunned everyone around the world. He received the award for the leading inventor in the world in China. The 25-year-old inventor also won a gold medal at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions.
Atif drew the attention of scientific researchers after he invented a device to help the blind identify colors through sensation. He outperformed his competitors in the competition, who numbered 900 people.
The Saudi genius also won other substantial awards, including second place in the Arab world at the Intel ISEC Science and Engineering Fair. He also won the SABIC Innovation Award, and the SABIC Prize in chemistry, which made him the most influential inventor in the Western region, honored by its Emir.
World Health Organization Prize
In 2020, the Saudi student, Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Jughayman, from the Faculty of Medicine at King Faisal University in Al-Ahsa, was awarded the World Health Organization award at the International Student Conference in the Netherlands. This was scoring an impressive achievement, to be added to the record of achievements of Saudi children abroad.
The Saudi student won the award in a competition with more than 700 students in scientific research from more than 65 countries, and because it is the only award given to a student from the Arab world, the student has been appointed as an ambassador for scientific research by the University of Khorochengen and the Research Center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Best Applied Business Project
One of the most prominent Saudi students who have succeeded abroad is Nasser bin Ali Al Muhanna Al-Luimi Al-Dosari, who was awarded 2019 the Best Applied Business Project award at Bangor University, UK, in the Commerce, Business, Management, and Marketing category.
His project discussed four vital topics in management and business, focusing on modern management methods for e-commerce.
The project was also distinguished in the methodology of preparing a feasibility study for small and emerging businesses. This is one of the most significant pillars of any prosperous economic future and to which Vision 2030 aspires.
200 math problems in 8 minutes
In the same year, the Saudi child, Imad Al-Amoudi, who was 12 years old at the time, won first place in the world in the “USIMAs” mental intelligence competition, hosted by Malaysia.
The Saudi child outperformed 9,000 children from 83 countries around the world after he answered 200 math problems in just 8 minutes. This was outperforming all participants in the competition, which was considered a new scientific achievement for the Kingdom.
The student, Ataz Saad Al-Nafi’i, from Tabuk International School, also won second place in the world in the Little Genius Mental Arithmetic Competition. This was recently held in the Arab Republic of Egypt in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Extraction of manganese oxide nanoparticles
Like them, in 2017, the Saudi student, Khaled Hambishi, achieved the World Merit Award in engineering at the International Olympiad for Scientific Research. This was held in Houston, with wide participation.
At that time, Khaled Hambishi, a student at Dar Al Dhikr School in Jeddah, won the International Merit Award at the International Olympiad. He presented a paper entitled “Extraction of Nano-Manganese Oxide Particles and Their Applications in Increasing Solar Cell Efficiency.”
Young Saudi Inventors You Should Know
There are numerous stories of Saudi men and women who have achieved unprecedented achievements in various fields, from medicine to mathematics, innovations, and inventions.
Those innovators combat domestic violence; they even climb Everest.
Their stories rarely find their way into the global media and even those who made it into newspapers were not given attention.
Here at Leaders MENA, we highlight these creators and give them the attention they deserve. We decided to choose some achievements even though, as we mentioned, they do not cover a small percentage of those who excel in their field.
Mansour Al-Hammad
Mansour Al-Hammad is one of the geniuses of mathematics who excelled in several fields of electricity, mathematics, and other sciences. Despite his young age, he made many inventions and scientific discoveries that changed the perception of the world in terms of solving the most complex math problems.
His fondness for mathematics made him refuse to apply mathematical rules to the letter in their entirety; rather, he looked for other solutions until he solved complex mathematical problems with the only recurring solution and generalized the same idea to solve polynomials (all equations) with a recurring solution.
He has more than twenty patents registered in his name. He has recently come up with an innovative mathematical theory called “Mansour Expansion” that will help solve many engineering, physical, and mathematical problems.
This theory enjoys substantial importance in engineering and digital applications.
Al-Hammad enjoys the attention and care of the Saudi Cultural Attaché, who wants to help him register every invention he finds in his name.
Ghada Al-Mutairi
Professor Ghada Al-Mutairi discovered a metal that enables light to enter the human body in chips called a photon. This facilitates entry into cells without surgery.
This means that Al-Mutairi succeeded in using light as an alternative to the scalpel.
Al-Mutairi is considered the first Arab scientist in nanotechnology; her name was included in the list of newly discovered inventors after receiving the highest award for scientific research in the United States of America.
Al-Mutairi presented dozens of research papers and a scientific publication called “Micro Technology” translated into German, Japanese, and English. She owns a $1 million private factory awarded by California, where she is working on two new projects.
Ahmed Mutash Al-Anzi
Dr. Ahmed Mutash Al-Anazi was awarded the (American Board of Nuclear Medicine Award) (ABNM) in 2009.
At that time, the committee commended Al-Enezi’s achievement as the first researcher in the United States to pass the specialty test, molecular diagnostics. This is considered one of the modern subspecialties of nuclear medicine that aims to diagnose tumors in the early stages, which helps in early and effective treatment.
Al-Enezi transferred his experiences and achievements to Saudi Arabia.
He serves as Senior Consultant in Nuclear Medicine at the Armed Forces Hospital in Riyadh. He is also Chairman of the Organizing Committee for Nuclear Medicine Conferences held in the Arab world.
Hayat Al-Sindi
Scientist and researcher Hayat Al-Sindi is the founder of the “Diagnostics for All” project, which is modern technology developed in George Whiteside’s lab at Harvard University. This technology reduces the analysis laboratories to a device the size of a fingerprint made of paper. This device is something the average person can use to analyze at any time and read the results directly to diagnose his disease condition.
She also contributed to the invention of a sensor of sound and magnetic waves that could determine the drug required for the human body.
She also invented a device that diagnoses cancer in its early stages and relies on “Nano-Laser” technology.
Al-Sindi is the first Saudi woman to receive a scholarship from the University of Cambridge to prepare a doctoral thesis in biotechnology.
Al-Sindi was chosen by (Newsweek) magazine to be on the list of “150 Women Who Shocked the World” in 2012.
In 2013, Al-Sindi was selected in the “Arabian Business” list of the 100 most powerful Arab women; she also made a new achievement in January 2013 when she became part of the first women’s group working in the Shura Council in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Turkey – El-Hazazi
In 2009, Dr. Turki Al-Hazazi was awarded first place in the highest international award presented by The International Association for Dental Research (IADR), after discovering the role of previously unknown genes in oral cancer. He also won second place in the American Association for Dental Research competition.
He discovered the role of a family of genes called “SRT7-1”, specifically “SRT-3”, in controlling the severity and activity of oral cancer cells.
El-Hazazi succeeded in reducing the effectiveness of “Sirt-3”, giving hope to a large number of people with the disease. This is especially since the new practical approach is currently working to take advantage of cancer cells’ sensitivity to “Sirt-3” to create a therapeutic drug that eliminates the affected cells without affecting normal cells.
Dima Al Yahya
The first Saudi woman to be appointed to the position of General Manager for Technology Platforms and Developers at Microsoft Arabia.
Dima has 11 years of experience in e-marketing, and she is no stranger to the business world, having previously worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Saudi Stock Exchange.
Since assuming her position, she has been organizing conferences and launching initiatives to improve Saudi women’s conditions in the labor market. This will enable them to achieve themselves.
Abdul Rahman Trabzoni
He currently heads Google Android for the Middle East after leading the task of planning and executing the company’s strategic investments and business as Google’s regional head for Arab emerging markets.
He worked on building various projects during his tenure at US companies such as “Morgan Stanley”, “Oracle” and “Blue Print” and was a member of Microsoft’s future board of directors.
Trabzoni participated in the establishment of technology companies and investment incubators.
He was chosen by “Arabian Business” among the list of the 30 most influential leaders in the Middle East on its annual list of “30 under 30”, and was ranked by MIT Technology Review as one of the Arab tech pioneers.
Hind Abdul Ghaffar
Dr. Hind Abdel Ghaffar has come up with a way to protect security men from bullets through a protective nano-technology jacket. This innovation was Abd al-Ghaffar’s doctoral dissertation, which was awarded honors and distinction.
She created the jacket to be easy to take off and put on and lightweight; indeed, the nano jacket weighs 2.9 kg.
The jacket protects against bullets and cold.
Abdul Khaleq Mansaf
He received the Scientific Excellence Award in engineering plastics and polymers, awarded by the “Alpha Kay” cleaner for outstanding students.
Al-Mansaf, who studied at the University of Pennsylvania, was among 260 outstanding students from 360 US universities.
Al-Mansaf obtained a cumulative average of all academic degrees equivalent to 4 out of 4, which qualified him for the award.
Maha Al Munif
During her rule, former US President Barack Obama gave her the award for being the bravest woman in the world. Al-Munif is a Saudi doctor and CEO of the National Family Safety Program.
She is also a member of the Arab Network for Child Protection and the Domestic Violence Committee.
She has brought about many positive changes in Saudi society due to her activity in combating violence for more than 10 years in Saudi Arabia.
She studied medicine and surgery at King Saud University and received certificates from The American Academy of Pediatrics.
Farouk Al-Zoman
Farouk Al-Zoman is the first Saudi to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The call to prayer was raised at three o’clock Nepal time in 2008 after reaching the summit.
Nicknamed Edmund Hillary of Saudi Arabia, after the first climber to summit Mount Everest.
Mountainer Farouk Al-Zoman is considered a model for Saudi youth; he enjoys respect from the Saudi government and private, educational, and training agencies for his role in spreading positive vibes.
