A total of 100 gifted Saudi students have qualified for the spring meet next month, which will determine who will represent the Kingdom in the upcoming international competition (Olympiad) to be held in South Africa, Kazakhstan and Vietnam in July this year.

The final round of the qualifying process will select the most proficient Saudi students in mathematics, physics and chemistry for the Olympiad competition.

Winners of this year’s event under King Abdul Aziz and his Companions Foundation for the Gifted and Creativity (Mawhiba) will undergo electronic training from now until the spring meet. They will be divided into groups based on their level of preparation for the intensive training.

King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) and King Saud University will be hosting the students during their training. Meanwhile, 12 winners in the physics category will undergo training in Estonia, immediately after the spring meet.

“The winter meet was a great success, as it achieved all of its objectives and raised the skills and capabilities of our students,” said Abdul Rahman Al-Quisani, head of the International Olympiad at Mawhiba.

Al-Quisani indicated that the last meet increased the student’s efficiency in dealing with problems and developing strategies, which has proven the authenticity of their thinking and their ability to compete in the upcoming international event.

The director general added, “The testimony of both local and international coaches and trainers was the best proof of this success.”

He also lauded the participants for their commitment and diligence during the days of the winter meet that took approximately 1769 hours of continuous training.

Al-Quisani wished the participants success in their upcoming challenge and hoped they would raise the Kingdom’s name to new heights.

At the winter closing ceremony, names of the candidates for the Gulf Olympiad for mathematics, which will be held in Muscat were also announced. They are: Ibrahim Abdul Hafeez Khan, Zubair Mohamed Habibullah, Mahdi Abdul Mohsen Al-Sheikh, Majid Abdul Rahman Almrmaki, Ali Abdul Jalil and Shaden Naif Al-Shamri.

Meanwhile, the students selected to participate in the Singapore competition for physics, which will take place from May 11-19 are: Abdul Mohsen Sulaiman Al-Owaid, Faisal Abdullah Al-Khial, Ibrahim Mohammed Al-Nami, Ibrahim Al-Juhani, Omar Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Mohammed Hussein Bali, Mohammed Owaidah Alwajinani, and Ziad Abdullah Al-Harbi.

The female students who qualified to represent the Kingdom to the European Olympiads in Turkey, which is set to take place from April 10-16 are: Shaden Nayef Al-Shamri, Renad Yahya Abu Al-Jamal, Raba Hussein Al-Dhaheri and Ghufran Salem Al-Khamis.