Mawhiba, the Saudi national program for the gifted, which seeks to identify young Saudi talent, said on Saturday that as many as 33,000 boys and girls have been registered in this year’s program, with many more expected to follow.

The ambitious project, which brings to the forefront gifted Saudi youth with a background in science and technology, is held in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the National Center for Assessment in Higher Education.

Mawhiba is urging prospective candidates in primary and secondary schools to speed up their registration and take advantage of the opportunities offered before the deadline expires on Jan, 30, 2015.

Outlining the nomination process, Mawhiba said students have three options: Schools and departments for the gifted nominate the student online; parents nominate the student, or self nomination.

Students have to undergo four stages following registration. Results will be announced in February and the top five students would be selected for the prize.

The project has seen remarkable developments since its inception with an increase of over 64 percent in the number of candidates, 74 percent increase in the number of participants and 111 percent in the number of students admitted compared to 2011.