PHOENIX — Saudi students secured 12 special awards at the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), currently taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, with the Kingdom awaiting the announcement of the competition’s grand awards at the conclusion of the event.The exhibition, held from May 9 to 15, features more than 1,700 students representing around 70 countries.The Saudi award winners included student Mazen Mohammed Amir Murad in translational medical science, Al-Jawhara Faisal Bin Zura’a in chemistry, Jana Ibrahim Al-Dosari in energy, Shaimaa Al-Ktatny in environmental engineering, Lana Abdullah Abu Talib, who won two special awards in energy, Lana Waseem Al-Akkad in embedded systems, Noor Faisal Al-Otaibi in materials science, Fatimah Hussein Al-Muqrin in environmental engineering, Lin Mahmoud Al-Nabulsi in environmental engineering, Jana Ihab Harsani in computational biology and bioinformatics, and Tamim Ibrahim Khan in microbiology.The special awards are granted by international scientific, academic and research institutions to projects distinguished by their research value, practical impact or relevance to emerging scientific fields.Saudi Arabia is participating in ISEF through the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, known as Mawhiba, in partnership with the Ministry of Education.The Kingdom has participated in the global competition annually since 2007.This year’s Saudi Science and Engineering Team includes 40 students presenting advanced scientific projects, in addition to two observers. Twenty-three students are competing in person in Phoenix, while 17 students are participating remotely from Riyadh.The students qualified after a nationwide competition involving more than 357,000 students who submitted over 34,000 scientific projects across 22 categories as part of the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity “Ibdaa 2026.”Participants advanced through several evaluation and qualification stages, including regional and central exhibitions, before reaching the Ibdaa for Science and Engineering exhibition and an intensive training program designed to enhance their projects and prepare them for international competition.ISEF is considered the world’s largest global platform for pre-university research and innovation projects, with participating projects evaluated by leading international scientists and experts.
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