International Olympiad - Global Science Competitions

About International Olympiad

The International Scientific Competitions are prestigious, high-level annual events that rank among the most challenging and respected academic contests for students in public education. Spanning a wide range of disciplines—including mathematics, physics, chemistry, general science, biology, and informatics—these competitions are held each summer and hosted by different participating countries. With a history of over fifty years, they draw participation from more than 100 nations around the world. Nomination for participation is based on the student's performance in training camps, through passing a series of exams conducted during these camps, culminating in qualification exams for the final competitions.

Objectives of the International Olympiad

• To elevate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's reputation in international competitions.

• To enhance confidence in the national ability to compete globally in science and mathematics.

• To raise community awareness regarding the role of science and mathematics.

• To foster a spirit of scientific competition among educational process.

• To contribute to building a creative generation capable of engaging with scientific discourse.

Target group

Public education students.

Requirements for Participation in Competitions

1. The student must be of Saudi nationality.

2. The students must pass the qualifying examinations that allow them to continue training at advanced stages.

International Olympiad Competitions

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participates annually in various International Scientific Olympiads, including:

- International Biology Olympiad (IBO)

- International Open Biology Olympiad( OIBO)

- International Avicenna Olympiad in Biology( AIBO)

- International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad( IAIO)

- European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad( EGMO)

- Asian Pacific Mathematical Olympiad( APMO)

- Arabian Mathematical Olympiad (AMO)

- International Mathematical Olympiad( IMO)

- Balkan Mathematical Olympiad( BMO)

- Junior Balkan Mathematical Olympiad( JBMO)

- Gulf Mathematical Olympiad( GMO)

- Cyberspace Mathematical Competition( CMC)

- International Olympiad in Mathematics for High School Students( IOMHSS)

- International Junior Science Olympiad ( IJSO)

- International Nuclear Science Olympiad( INSO)

- International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics( IOAA)

- Asian Physics Olympiad( APhO)

- European Physics Olympiad ( EuPhO)

- Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad ( NBPhO)

- International Physics Olympiad ( IPhO)

- Gulf Physics Olympiad ( GPhO)

- International Chemistry Olympiads (IChO)

- International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad( IMChO)

- Arabian Chemistry Olympiad ( AChO)

- Al-Biruni International Chemistry Olympiad ( ARBIChO)

- Gulf Chemistry Olympiad ( GChO)

- Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad ( APIO)

- International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI)

- Baltic Olympiad in Informatics ( BOI)

- European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics ( EGOI)

- European Junior Olympiad in Informatics ( EJOI)

- Balkan Olympiad in Informatics ( BIO)

- Junior Balkan Olympiad in Informatics ( JBIO)

Key Partners

Achievements

Statistics	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
	4	5	9	11	17	27	28	20	23	19	32	30	31	40	54
Number of Students Trained in Training Camps	126	410	444	557	654	798	739	651	856	1136	1431	1675	1849	983	1417
Number of Gold Medals Achieved			2	3	4	3	10	7	3	11	3	4	8	5	12
Number of Silver Medals Achieved		2	8	5	4	7	8	15	14	12	14	9	22	20	22
Total Number of Medals and Certificates of Appreciation Achieved in International Olympiads	6	8	23	26	33	47	53	51	49	47	57	56	72	71	92
Number of International Olympiads Participated In	2	5	7	8	10	11	12	12	12	12	11	14	18	19	25
Number of Students Trained in Basic Courses					1032	763	990	2774	2370	2599	2132	2373	2539		4848
Number of Participants in International Olympiads	12	30	44	49	59	63	70	70	66	75	69	47	51	52	76

Registration and Nomination

Requirements for Participation in Competitions

1. The student must be of Saudi nationality.

2. The students must pass the qualifying examinations that allow them to continue training at advanced stages.

International Biology Olympiad

An international competition aimed at gifted students in high school (Grades 10 to 12), focusing on the field of biology. This competition takes place annually in July and spans a duration of 10 days.

Each year, a different country hosts the event and prepares both theoretical and practical questions. Students have exams on their problem-solving skills across various biology branches, as well as their competence in handling biological experiments.

Each participating country selects four students to represent it, provided they have not yet enrolled in universities. Thus, countries prioritize preparing their students through national competitions and intensive training camps.

Top-performing students are awarded medals (Gold - Silver - Bronze), which significantly enhance their academic and professional futures.

Historical Overview

The International Biology Olympiad (IBO) was first held in the Czech Republic in 1990, with six participating countries: Belgium, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Bulgaria, and the Soviet Union. By 2018, during the edition hosted in Iran, the number of participating countries had reached 68.

Several Arab countries have participated in previous editions, including Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Qatar. Egypt earned a bronze medal in 2016 in Vietnam, and Syria secured a bronze medal in 2018 in Iran.

The upcoming editions are scheduled as follows:

• 2025 – Philippines

Governing Bodies

High Steering Committee:

Consists of five members in addition to the IBO President. They are responsible for managing the competitions for four years, after which elections are held.

General Committee:

Composed of one jury member from each country who participates in discussions and voting on decisions.

Judging panel:

Discusses exam questions, answers, and grading before translation. It includes a delegate from each country, with a chairman appointed by the host country to manage discussions and voting sessions.

International Junior Science Olympiad

The International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) is an annual competition that is individual-based in theory and team-based in practical natural sciences, intended for students under the age of sixteen as of December 31st of the competition year.

IJSO was established to recognize the significance of natural sciences in the public education of young boys and girls. It is purely an educational and pedagogical event aimed at enhancing school students’ interest in science, promoting problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and positively impacting science and mathematics education. Approximately 50 countries participate, each represented by a team of six students.

Objectives

Challenging and motivating gifted students to further develop their skills in natural sciences.

Promoting and rewarding students interested in the Natural sciences.

Fostering competition across different fields of science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology).

Enhancing the level of science education to reach inspiring standards in research and development.

Encouraging friendships and relationships among students worldwide.

Aspirations

Stimulating active student engagement in natural sciences.Promoting students' professional growth as scientists.

Enhancing international information exchange in the natural sciences and fostering future scientific collaboration.

Providing opportunities to compare curricula and educational trends among participating countries.

Historical Overview

The IJSO was first held in Indonesia in 2004, establishing its framework and regulations. It follows the model of other scientific Olympiads, with each edition hosted by a different participating country annually.

Kingdom participations

Saudi Arabia proudly achieved its first gold medal in scientific competitions through the IJSO in 2018, following several participations during which it won numerous bronze and silver medals.

How to Join the Saudi Team for the IJSO

Follow the announcement of the "Mawhoob" competition on the website of the King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity "Mawhiba" ". This is the initial step, followed by a series of competitions leading to selection for the national team.

Upon completing this competition, the student becomes eligible to participate in other Olympiads (Physics, Chemistry, Biology).

International Chemistry Olympiad

International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)

An international chemistry competition held annually for students in high school (Grades 10 to 12), taking place every July in a different host country and lasting 10 days.

Approximately 300 students from around 70 countries compete for medals that pave the way for future academic and professional opportunities.

The IChO aims to foster relationships and cooperation among students and to exchange educational and scientific experiences among countries. Thus, most countries conduct national chemistry Olympiads to prepare their students. The host country organizes the competition and prepares the questions, which are divided into two sections: theoretical and practical.

Each country can nominate up to four students, provided they are under 20 years of age and have not yet enrolled in university.

A higher committee, composed of representatives from different continents, supervises the competition.

Historical Overview

The concept of organizing the IChO originated in Czechoslovakia in 1968, initially as part of the secondary education system in Soviet bloc countries, supported by the Ministry of Education. No Western countries were initially invited.

Later that same year, during the first IChO, preliminary regulations were established, including hosting the competition at the end of the academic year, with participation by national teams (students and supervisors). The competition comprised theoretical and practical exams.

Hosting countries rotate annually. The first IChO in 1968 involved three countries (Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary) and six students, lasting four days.

In 1975, Austria and Belgium joined, increasing participation to 12 countries and 48 students; the event extended to 10 days.

By 1985, 22 countries participated, including Kuwait, with 84 students. In 1995, 42 countries participated with 164 students.

In 2004, 61 countries participated with 233 students.

In 2010, the Olympiad was held in Tokyo with 68 countries and 268 students, plus 5 observer nations.

Arab Countries' Participation

Saudi Arabia participated as an observer in 2004 and 2005 and sent students in 2006 and 2007, returning as observers in 2008, 2009, and 2010, before consistent student participation from 2011 to 2019. During these participations, Saudi Arabia earned 7 silver medals, 18 bronze medals, and certificate of appreciation.

Kuwait has participated since 1985, while Egypt participated from 2002 for several years but ceased in 2008.

Syria first participated with students in 2010 and continued, securing about 10 bronze medals and several certificates of appreciation by 2018.

Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad MChO

The Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad is considered the most challenging chemistry competition globally, known for its highly demanding questions. The competition is conducted primarily in Russian, with questions later translated into English and Arabic. It has been held for more than 53 years, with the participation of the world's most powerful nations in chemistry.

The MChO is named after the prominent Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev, who introduced the first periodic table.

Held annually between late April and early May, it involves the top 8 students from each team.

International Mathematics Olympiad

International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO)

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is an annual international competition hosted by pre-selected countries each July. The competition involves solving 6 highly challenging problems over 2 days, with each day’s problems given over 4.5 hours and a total score of 42 points. Participants are pre-university students under 20 years old, and each country may send up to 6 students. The first IMO was held in Romania in 1959 with seven participating countries, all from the socialist bloc: Czechoslovakia, East Germany, the Soviet Union, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Poland. Yugoslavia joined in 1961, followed by Mongolia in 1964, Vietnam in 1974, and later Turkey. Today, around 106 countries participate, with the participation of South Africa in 2015.

Algeria marked the first Arab participation in 1977, followed by Tunisia (1981), Kuwait (1982), Morocco (1983), and Bahrain (1990). Saudi Arabia’s first participation involved two scientific observers at the 2003 IMO in Japan. In 2004, Saudi Arabia sent 4 students to the IMO in Greece. The UAE first observed the IMO in Vietnam in 2007 and participated with students in Spain in 2008. Saudi Arabia has continued participating since 2003

The following are the results of the Kingdom's participation in this competition:

Balkan Math- Olympiad (BMO)

The Balkan Mathematical Olympiad is an annual mathematics competition held at the beginning of May, organized by Balkan countries and Cyprus. Some non-Balkan countries are occasionally invited. The first BMO was held in Greece in 1984.

Similar to the IMO, each team can consist of up to 6 students who have not received any university-level education and are under 20 years of age.

The BMO is considered one of the most prestigious competitions worldwide due to the strength and pioneering roles of the participating countries, especially in establishing the IMO in 1957. Saudi Arabia has been participating annually since 2010, although it could not participate in 2013 due to scheduling conflicts with final preparations for the IMO.

Junior Balkan Mathematical Olympiad (JBMO)

This is a competition organized by the Balkan countries and Cyprus. It is open to students whose ages do not exceed 15.5 years at the beginning of the competition. The first edition of the Olympiad was hosted by the former Yugoslavia in 1997. Several countries are invited to participate in the competition. Each team may consist of no more than 6 students. The competition is conducted over a single day, during which students will take 4 exams covering the four internationally designated fields (Algebra, Geometry, Number Theory, and Combinatorics). Each exam is graded out of 10 points, making the maximum score for each student 40 points and 240 points for each team. The Olympiad is held annually in the last third of June.

Gulf Math Olympiad (GMO)

This is a periodic mathematics competition for students from the member states of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States. It is organized and supervised by the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States and is hosted by one of the member countries. The competition is significant in that it helps to foster a competitive academic environment among students of the member states across various mathematical fields, and contributes to enriching curricula and advancing education. The first edition of the Olympiad was launched in 2012.

Asian Pacific Math Olympiad (APMO)

The Asian Pacific Math Olympiad is an international mathematics competition aimed at discovering and encouraging mathematically gifted school students across the Asia-Pacific region. It also seeks to promote friendly international relations and cooperation among students and teachers and to provide an opportunity for exchanging information on curricula and practices throughout the Pacific area.

The first edition was launched in 1989, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia began participating in 2011.

European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO)

In the fall of 2009, Murray Edwards College at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom proposed organizing a mathematics competition modeled after the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) at the European level, where participating countries would be represented solely by teams composed of female high school (grades 10 to 12) students. The goal was to support the study of mathematics among girls across Europe. The competition, named the European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad, received wide support from European nations and some non-European countries, and the first edition was hosted by the University of Cambridge in April 2012.

International Olympiad in Informatics

International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI)

The International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) is an annual programming competition for high school (grades 10 to 12) students. It is the second-largest Olympiad, following the International Mathematical Olympiad, in terms of the number of participating countries. The first edition was held in 1989 in Pravetz, Bulgaria.

The competition consists of 2 days of computer programming and problem-solving tasks of an algorithmic nature. Handling problems involving large amounts of data is considered the most challenging aspect of the competition, where mathematics rather than programming forms the core difficulty. Each country is represented by 4 students who compete individually.

The IOI takes place annually in July, featuring the top four students from each national team.

Olympiad in Informatics in the Baltic (BOI)

The Olympiad in Informatics in the Baltic (BOI) is a programming competition for high school (grades 10 to 12) students from the countries around the Baltic Sea. More than 60 high school (grades 10 to 12) students from 10 countries compete against each other, with each country sending its top 6 students to solve complex algorithmic problems.

The BOI was established in 1995, initially with only 3 participating countries. Since then, it has grown to include 10 countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Sweden.

The BOI is held annually in May, with the top 4 students from each national team participating.

Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad (APIO)

The Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad (APIO) is a competition similar to the IOI, designed for delegations from the Asia-Pacific regions. The first APIO was organized by the Australian IOI team in 2007. The competition is conducted online, with students competing at designated sites within their own countries or regions.

International Physics Olympiad

International Physics Olympiad (IPhO)

The International Physics Olympiad is an annual competition held every July, with each team comprising the top 5 students.

The first IPhO was organized in Warsaw, Poland, in 1967 under the supervision of Professor Czesław Ścisłowski. The concept traces back to 3 scientists from Soviet bloc countries in the mid-20th century:

Professor Czesław Ścisłowski, Poland.

Professor Rostislav Kostial, Czechoslovakia.

Professor Rudolf Konvalví, Hungary.

These scholars adopted the idea of establishing an Olympiad for high school (grades 10 to 12) and equivalent technical education students in physics, modeled after the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), which was first held in 1959. After intensive consultations among the three professors, it was agreed to organize the first Physics Olympiad in Warsaw, chaired by Professor Czesław Ścisłowski. It was also decided that the Olympiad would be held annually in a rotating manner, similar to the International Mathematical Olympiad. It is noteworthy that a fundamental difference between the Physics Olympiad and the Mathematics Olympiad is the inclusion of practical problems in the former, making its preparation and organization more complex and costly than the Mathematics Olympiad.

Formation of Teams in the First Physics Olympiad Edition

Each participating team was composed of a maximum of 5 students and two supervisors, with observers allowed within the same delegation. The competition regulations included 3 to 4 theoretical problems on the first day and one experimental problem on the second day. The official languages of the Olympiad were English and Russian only (i.e., the examination papers were provided in English and Russian, but teams could answer in their native languages). A rest day was scheduled between the two examination days. A Secretariat Committee composed of experienced members was formed to manage organizational tasks and respond to the needs of all participating teams.

Saudi Arabia's Participation in the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO)

Through the participation of the Saudi team in the 42nd International Physics Olympiad held in Thailand from July 10–18, 2011, student Yousef Al-Owaid earned a Certificate of Honorable Mention, marking the first achievement of its kind for an Arab country. The total score of the Saudi team increased to 25% compared to only 2% in their previous participation.

At the 43rd International Physics Olympiad held in Estonia from July 15–24, 2012, the Saudi team achieved a historic milestone for Saudi Arabia and the Arab world by winning the first bronze medal through student Abdullah Al-Salloum. Additionally, three other team members—Hamoud Al-Harbi, Ali Al-Hulaimi, and Mohammed Al-Hajji—received Certificates of Honorable Mention. Securing awards for 4 out of 5 team members reflected significant progress in the team's performance and confirmed that planning and training are the keys to excellence. The team aspires to win silver and gold medals in the coming years.

Saudi Arabia participated in the 44th International Physics Olympiad held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from July 7–15, 2013, where students Mohammed Al-Hajji and Ali Al-Hulaimi won bronze medals. Furthermore, students Ibrahim Al-Nami and Abdulmohsen Al-Owaid received Certificates of Honorable Mention.

Saudi Arabia continued its participation in the 45th International Physics Olympiad held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from July 13–21, 2014. The team won two bronze medals through students Abdulmohsen Al-Owaid and Faisal Al-Khayyal, in addition to a Certificate of Honorable Mention awarded to student Ibrahim Al-Juhani.

The Kingdom also participated in the 46th International Physics Olympiad held in Mumbai, India, from July 4–13, 2015. Four students—Mohammed Al-Wudaynan, Faisal Al-Saif, Abdulmalik Al-Ghanim, and Faour Al-Faour—earned Certificates of Honorable Mention.

In the 47th International Physics Olympiad held in Zurich, Switzerland, from July 11–17, 2016, student Faisal Al-Saif won a silver medal. Students Yazan Al-Majnouni and Ghada Al-Shaalan earned bronze medals, while Ghassan Al-Jawi and Faisal Al-Hajri were awarded Certificates of Honorable Mention.

Saudi Arabia continued its participation in the 48th International Physics Olympiad held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from July 16–24, 2017. Extending their previous successes, student Faisal Al-Salloum won a silver medal, as did student Ghada Al-Shaalan. Student Yazan Al-Majnouni secured a bronze medal, and student Waleed Al-Durgham received a Certificate of Honorable Mention.

In 2018, during the 49th International Physics Olympiad held in Lisbon, Portugal, from July 21–29, 2019, Saudi Arabia continued achieving impressive results. Faisal Al-Salloum earned a silver medal, while Yazan Al-Majnouni and Waleed Al-Durgham each secured a bronze medal. Student Muath Al-Fayoumi received a Certificate of Honorable Mention.

Asian Physics Olympiad APhO

The Asian Physics Olympiad is the main physics competition for Asian countries, following a structure similar to that of the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) and requiring a comparable intellectual level from participants. A key difference between the APhO and the IPhO is that each country can send up to 8 students to the APhO, compared to 5 students for the IPhO. Participants must not exceed twenty years of age by June 30 of the competition year. The first edition of the APhO was held in Indonesia in 1999 with 12 participating countries, and it has been organized annually at the beginning of May ever since.

Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad (NBPhO)

The Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad is a regional competition that began in 1992 through cooperation between Estonia and Finland. Initially called the Estonia-Finland Physics Olympiad, it served as the final training stage for selecting each country’s team for the International Physics Olympiad.

In 2014, Latvia requested to join the competition, followed by Sweden in 2016, prompting the renaming of the Olympiad. Each founding country is allowed to send up to 20 participants, and other countries may join as guests with a limited number of participants.

European Physics Olympiad (EuPhO)

The European Physics Olympiad is a competition for high school (grades 10 to 12) students featuring short but intellectually challenging problems that require creative answers.

It is open to European and non-European countries alike, with each participating country allowed to send 5 students and one leader. The competition aligns with the International Physics Olympiad’s policies and topics.

It consists of two parts:

A theoretical exam comprising three deep-concept problems, with 5 hours allotted for completion.

An experimental exam consisting of one or two problems, also with a five-hour time limit. Unlike the IPhO, in the EuPhO, students themselves discuss their answers with the scientific committee instead of team leaders.

Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad

Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad

Communications, Space & Technology Commission

The first Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad was held from November 30 to December 9, 2007. During this event, the International Board, composed of leaders from each participating country, was established, along with the official statutes of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad. The International Board also elected its officers for a five-year term: President Dr. Boonrucksar Soonthornthum (Thailand) and Secretary General Dr. Chatief Kunjaya (Indonesia).

The main objective of the Olympiad is to foster growing interest in astronomy and related STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields and to promote the development of international communication among various countries in the advancement of astronomy and astrophysics education in schools. The competition aims to encourage the brightest high school (grades 10 to 12) students to pursue studies in astronomy and space sciences at the university level, nurturing the next generation of astronomy and space science professionals.

Our goal in this competition is to cultivate a creative generation in the fields of:

- Astronomy

- Physics

- Space Engineering

- Aerospace Engineering

- Vehicle Engineering

- Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

- Space Science and Engineering

- Aviation Engineering.