JEDDAH: More than 11,000 male and female students have enrolled in the Mawhiba Classes program, implemented by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, known as Mawhiba, in partnership with distinguished schools.

A further 5,200 have joined the Mawhiba Advanced Program for Science and Mathematics as the 2026-27 academic year begins, as part of the foundation’s efforts to nurture gifted students and develop their abilities.

The Mawhiba Classes program is being implemented in more than 240 schools across 23 cities in different regions of the Kingdom, in cooperation with specialized educational institutions and experts.

It targets public and private schools that meet the program’s standards in areas including infrastructure, teaching methods, assessment and learning approaches.

The program aims to provide gifted students with specialized care and support in dedicated classrooms at schools that meet the requirements for participation.

Students are taught by highly qualified teachers and follow Mawhiba’s supplementary curricula, which are designed to develop their skills, abilities and creativity.

The additional curricula focus on strengthening thinking skills, developing students’ personalities and instilling positive values by providing in-depth knowledge and problem-solving skills.

Mawhiba also seeks to build students’ self-confidence and spirit of cooperation, helping them develop their abilities and providing broader opportunities to achieve excellence in a range of scientific fields.

The first edition of Mawhiba Classes was launched in 2009, with 185 students benefiting from the program across 28 schools in four cities.

Participation has increased steadily since then. Last year, the program served 9,900 students at 190 schools in 17 cities, before expanding this year to more than 11,000 students at over 240 schools in 23 cities.

Meanwhile, more than 5,200 students have begun their studies under the Mawhiba Advanced program for Science and Mathematics for the 2026-27 academic year.

The program is delivered remotely through advanced digital learning platforms across the Kingdom.

It runs for 20 weeks over the course of the academic year, outside students’ regular school hours.

Participants receive Mawhiba’s supplementary enrichment curricula from distinguished male and female teachers, with the aim of expanding access to the foundation’s programs and advanced educational content.

Coinciding with the start of the academic year, Mawhiba also launched a series of four virtual introductory sessions between Aug. 17 and 26.

The sessions targeted partnership coordinators, new teachers and parents of students taking part in the two programs.

They introduced participants to implementation mechanisms and available educational opportunities, while highlighting the complementary roles of schools and families in supporting students and helping them gain the maximum benefit from their learning experience.

As students returned to classrooms, Mawhiba also stepped up its programs and activities between Aug. 22 and 29 as part of its efforts to identify gifted students, empower them and provide an environment that supports the development of their abilities.

The foundation said in a message on X that nurturing gifted students is “a shared and integrated responsibility that begins at school with identifying talent and creating the right environment, extends to specialized organizations through empowerment and targeted programs, and thrives through community support and the embracing of creativity.”

The week featured a number of initiatives and programs, including an external training camp for the astronomy and space team, and a training program titled “The Role of Educational Leaders in Institutions Supporting Gifted Students.”

The foundation also began implementing its Mawhiba Classes program and organized an introductory session for parents of participating students, alongside another session for new teachers joining the program.

Other activities included the signing of a cooperation agreement with Tuwaiq Academy, the launch of the National Talent Olympiad, as well as the start of the Mawhiba Advanced program for Science and Mathematics.

The initiatives form part of an integrated system aimed at identifying, nurturing and empowering gifted students, while strengthening cooperation between schools, families, specialized institutions and the wider community in supporting talent.