Saudi informatics team to compete at 2026 International Olympiad in Uzbekistan

Saudi Arabia’s four-member informatics team is set to represent the Kingdom at the 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The competition, to be held from August 9 to 16, 2026, will bring together over 100 students from countries across the globe. The Saudi team comprises four high school students – Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Aiban, Saad Bandar Al-Arifi, Mohammed Nasser Al-Asmari, and Al-Tayyib Ahmed Al-Akhdari – who underwent rigorous training and preparation under the auspices of the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) and the Ministry of Education.

This marks the Kingdom’s eighth participation in the IOI, previously earning seven bronze medals and four certificates of merit across previous editions. The training process involved a series of camps and competitions, culminating in a final selection of the team. The IOI, established in 1989, is a prestigious international competition in computer science for high school students, focusing on advanced problem-solving, algorithm design, and programming skills.