Makkah: The Kingdom has continued to consolidate its global leadership at the World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY), securing first place for three consecutive years. Launched in 2017 at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, WAICY has emerged as a leading global platform for advancing artificial intelligence education. The competition was founded on a forward-looking vision aimed at empowering promising young talents to harness AI technologies responsibly and creatively, in line with the rapid and unprecedented evolution of the field.
According to Saudi Press Agency, Saudi participants have consistently excelled at WAICY. In the 2023 edition, they achieved a record medal count among 18,000 students representing 40 countries. This momentum continued in 2024, when the Kingdom won 22 medals, the highest number among 129 participating countries. The success culminated in 2025, with Saudi youth claiming first place globally by winning 26 awards for innovative projects, competing against thousands of international entries and surpassing the United States in second place and Indonesia in third.
These achievements reflect the growing capabilities of national talent in artificial intelligence and highlight the effectiveness of the Kingdom’s integrated approach to fostering youth innovation and technical excellence. WAICY is part of a global ecosystem that brings together students, educators, researchers, and innovators to develop AI-driven solutions centered on human values and real-world impact.
The competition has received strong support from the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), which recognized its importance at an early stage and incorporated it into its broader efforts to build national capacity in artificial intelligence. SDAIA’s support includes empowering participants, promoting responsible AI use, encouraging innovation to address practical challenges, and raising awareness of AI’s expanding role across various sectors. These efforts also aim to motivate students to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Saudi Arabia’s sustained success at WAICY underscores its long-term investment in human capital development, AI literacy, and equipping future generations with the skills and tools needed to thrive in the digital age.
