RIYADH, 23 July 2004 — Two new institutions are planned to realize the full potential of gifted Saudi students. One of them will be a math and science academy and the other a feeder to develop potential candidates.
Dr. Hamad Al-Baadi, secretary-general of King Abdul Aziz and his Companions Foundation for the Gifted detailed the plans while announcing that Eastern Province Governor Prince Mohammed ibn Fahd will inaugurate the fourth convention of Saudi inventors in Dhahran in February next year.
A large number of Saudi inventors, academicians and representatives of the private sector will participate in the three-day convention to be held on Moharrum 10, 1426 H. Twenty-six awards, collectively worth SR2 million, will be presented to prize winning inventors.
The convention will showcase the works of Saudi inventors and include lectures by eminent personalities.
Dr. Al-Baadi said the foundation has identified around 100 nominees after confirming that their inventions were genuine and did not infringe existing patents. “They range from the fields of chemicals and electronics to agriculture and IT,” Dr. Al-Baadi said. One of the inventions is a polymer used as an absorbent in disposable diapers. Another product finds application in the control systems of commercial bakeries’ dough-making machines. The majority of the other inventions relate to the electronic and computer fields. Dr. Al-Baadi said that some investors have shown interest in the Saudi inventions and are exploring the possibility of launching them on the market. He hoped that the Dhahran convention and the exhibition, to be held on the sidelines of the event, would go a long way in attracting the attention of prospective investors.
Fifteen hundred gifted boys and girls are attending this year’s summer training program being held in different parts of the Kingdom. Asked if diet played an important role in the development of the gifted, he said that it did in terms of improving their performance. “By contrast, the consumption of certain types of food and drinks could make them feel drowsy and interfere with their performance.”
Spelling out the future plans of the foundation, Dr. Al-Baadi said talks are in progress with SABIC for setting up an incubator. SABIC vice-chairman Mohammad Al-Madi has already confirmed interest in going ahead with the proposal.
The company’s R & D facility in the industrial township on the Al Kharj Road could serve as the key institute for unlocking their creative genius.
Referring to the Math and Science Academy, he pointed out that “we intend to establish two of them — one for boys and the other for girls.” He said students who had been put through a screening test for identifying the talented would be admitted to the academy.
Another group would consist of inventors who would be exempted, since they have already proved their high IQ.
