Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has maintained its second-place ranking globally, trailing only the United States, at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2026 for the third consecutive year. Competing in Phoenix, Arizona, from May 9 to 15 against more than 1,700 students from 70 countries, the Saudi team secured the second-highest number of grand prizes.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the Saudi delegation earned 12 grand prizes, including one first-place, four second-place, five third-place, and two fourth-place finishes, as well as 12 special awards. This achievement brings the Kingdom's historic ISEF tally to 209 total awards since it began participating in 2007 under the organization of the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Giftedness and Creativity Foundation (Mawhiba) and the Ministry of Education.
The 40-student team featured 23 members competing in person and 17 participating remotely from Riyadh. They were selected to represent the Kingdom from an initial pool of over 357,000 students who submitted more than 34,000 scientific projects nationwide, underscoring Saudi Arabia's growing leadership in pre-university research and global innovation.