RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s national artificial intelligence team earned six international awards during the inaugural Asia-Pacific Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (APOAI) 2026, held virtually and hosted by China. The competition brought together 129 students from 18 countries, marking Saudi Arabia’s first appearance in the newly established international event.

The Saudi team’s achievement included one gold medal, three silver medals, and two certificates of appreciation. Qusai Emad Jadallah, representing the Jeddah Education Department, won the gold medal. Silver medals were awarded to Laith Suwaid Al-Zahrani from Riyadh Education, Yousef Farid Al-Khalawi from Jeddah Education, and Ali Ayman Al-Khabbaz from Eastern Region Education. Raed Hassan Tayeb of Eastern Region Education and Hamad Mohammed Al-Kalbani from Riyadh Education received certificates of appreciation.

Saudi Arabia’s participation was organized by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and KAUST Academy. The strong performance highlights the growing capabilities of Saudi students in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies while reflecting the Kingdom’s continued investment in developing young talent for future-focused fields.