In a significant display of Saudi Arabia’s technological prowess, ten Saudi students who earned gold medals at the National Olympiad for Programming and Artificial Intelligence, known as “Athka,” have been selected to participate in an international training program at the University of Oxford. The program, titled the “Oxford Summer Program” (OSP), aims to enhance the skills of elite young students in the fields of programming and artificial intelligence from around the globe.
The participating students, aged between 14 and 18, are set to join the program this coming Sunday. Upon completion, they will receive a certificate accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC), along with opportunities for academic recommendations for further study at Oxford, one of the world’s most prestigious universities.
The OSP at Oxford is part of the collaborative efforts of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba). These initiatives aim to encourage and support talented students in cutting-edge technology fields.
The selection process was highly competitive, with over 260,000 applicants from middle and high schools throughout the Kingdom vying for a spot in the “Athka” Olympiad. Final candidates underwent rigorous and multi-stage testing, resulting in the selection of ten outstanding students who won gold medals and earned a place in the Oxford program.
This initiative reflects SDAIA’s commitment to enhancing and developing the skills of Saudi youth in data and artificial intelligence, fostering a strong national digital economy and advancing the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The program aligns with the Kingdom’s ambitions to become a global leader in technology and innovation, in line with national plans to enhance educational and technical competencies for Saudi youth.
Thanks to these supportive programs and initiatives, Saudi students are moving towards a future filled with opportunities and challenges that require high-level skills and advanced technical knowledge, thereby reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position in the global arena of artificial intelligence and technology.
Source: SPA
