Saudi Arabia has won the second highest number of awards globally at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) — the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. Twenty-three Saudi students claimed a total of 27 awards. The ISEF event brings together more than 1,800 high school students from over 75 countries to exhibit and demonstrate innovation through science projects of their own design. The participation of Saudi students was supported by Aramco Training and Development (T&D) in coordination with the Ministry of Education and King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba). Mawhiba and Tomooh Aramco extended full support to the Kingdom’s participation through sponsorship of Mawhiba and via the company’s flagship Tomooh program. Mawhiba is a nonprofit organization in Saudi Arabia that offers programs such as the National Program for Gifted Identification, the Academic Enrichment Program, and other similar initiatives. Tomooh is a program created by Aramco to develop the intellectual talents of Saudi students to meet admission requirements at the world’s best universities. Nine out of the 23 Saudi students who won awards were Tomooh participants, including two students who placed first in their respective fields. During the event, T&D also participated in a panel discussion on “Talent Empowerment and Acquisition” to showcase various programs offered by Aramco to nurture the talents of gifted students. Tomooh students First place winners: • Faisal Al Muhaysh (1st place in Chemistry) • Mohamed Al Arfaj (1st place in Environmental Engineering) Second through fourth place winners: • Zahraa Al Shubbar (2nd place in Biomedical and Health Sciences) • Latifa Al Ghannam (2nd place in Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design) • Deema Marwahi (Won two awards: 2nd place in Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Special Award) • Ritaj Alsulami (3rd place in Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design) • Layan Noorwali (3rd place in Environmental Engineering) • Layan Almalki (3rd place in Plant Sciences) • Dhay Shujaa (4th place in Earth and Environmental Sciences) What the winners had to say Al Arfaj shared his joy: “I’m proud to represent my beloved country. It’s a great honor to see the Saudi team winning and this brings happiness and contentment to all of our hearts. This makes us feel like we’re getting ready for a future where young talented Saudis, like us, will lead the world in the fields of science. — Mohamed Al Arfaj Al Muhaish noted: “We’re far away from home, yet we can see the pride in our families’ eyes. I’m thankful for everyone who supported us and provided us with the opportunity to contribute in raising the flag of the Kingdom on the international stage.” The journey wasn’t easy, but the urge to win and our thirst for achievements pushed us to do our best. So, we competed, and we finally earned high places and won several awards in different fields of science. — Latifah Al-Ghannam, one of the 26 Saudi females participating T&D was proud to support these promising young talents in their journey, conducting rehearsals, staging judging sessions, and providing valuable feedback. The students also expressed their thanks and appreciation for Aramco’s presence and commitment. Based on the exceptional results of the Saudi team, the country has a bright future, with Aramco’s full support. Caption for top photo: More than half of Tomooh students participating in ISEF won awards.