Saudi student Ahmed Khaled Al-Nuaimi impressed the judges at the International Science and Engineering Fair at the New Mexico Exposition in Albuquerque. He received a special award for his project “A Smart Shoe for Blind People,” in which he designed shoes with electronic sensors and audible alarms that could guide the blind and the visually impaired.
I was proud and delighted to watch Al-Nuaimi present his invention. He said that the love he had for his grandfather had inspired him to make the shoes which he had spent an entire year working on. I wish that the General Presidency of Youth Welfare would hang the Saudi inventor’s picture and his invention at its entrance. That would prove the fruitful outcome of the presidency’s efforts and send a message to the entire world that the Gulf region isn’t successful in only exporting oil.
It’s a very important message, and emphasizing it can only be achieved by working hard and winning trophies. As much as sports victories make us proud, we ought to praise and compliment the work of our gifted youth.
The Ministry of Education must celebrate Al-Nuaimi’s winning and present this celebration to media outlets. Let us not ignore this bright moment and remain in uninformed darkness. Let us celebrate our youth and encourage them to advance and triumph.
The media are always criticizing and pinpointing the shortcomings of our younger generation. We rarely read or see positive writings in the media that highlight success stories. Young men and women are regular readers, listeners and viewers of the media and presenting positive success stories would definitely influence their ways of thinking.
I hear so much negative gossip about everything in our society, including the youth. Studies provide that negative feelings control 80 percent of a human being’s inner voice. When a young man says or does something silly, negative feelings dominate people’s thinking and push them to conclude that the young are careless and useless. But when watching Ahmed Al-Nuaimi making all Saudis proud with his achievement, people’s hope in our future generation is rekindled.
I believe that the King Abdul Aziz and His Companions Foundation for the Gifted has laid the first steps toward a correct path for talented young Saudi individuals. There are many out there such as Al-Nuaimi who need our embracing and encouragement in order to move ahead.
