JEDDAH — Parents, relatives and school directors received on Sunday at King Abdulaziz Airport Saudi students who have won the 21st UCMAS international and 13th UCMAS National Abacus & Mental Arithmetic Competition 2016 recently held in Dubai and congratulated them on winning top places among 3,000 contestants from more than 50 countries including 35 youngsters from Saudi Arabia. Duaa Mohammed Mufarreh, a 14-year-old student of female Talented Secondary school and her brother Dyhaa Mohammed Mufarreh, a 10-year-old from Al Aqsa International school in Jeddah, emerged as the winners of UCMAS competition 2016 at the international level where Duaa placed in first place and Dyhaa while Dyhaa came in third place. [caption id="attachment_98878" align="alignright" width="300"] Duaa and Dyhaa with their mother[/caption]Speaking exclusively to Saudi Gazette, Dr. Muhammed Mufarreh, the father of Duaa and Dyhaa, said: "Duaa and Dyhaa's hard work has paid off. They have been taking UCMAS Math classes and we have seen tremendous improvement in them, not only in math but also in other subjects." He said they have always been bright but they are brighter now! "We were very confident that they can win because they showed their skills and ability and they had a great teacher who really helped them to reach such a great level in addition to the great support they have received from their schools and teachers." Dr. Mufarreh praised the role of the mother who has always helped and followed up with them all these years, "She gave them hope and selected the best teacher for them. She discovered the genius within our children and encouraged them to develop math," he added. He also praised their teacher Nawal Jibreel, who was a major reason behind their achievement. "She was a big help and spent so many times with them in order to develop their skills." Their mother Samira Abdulkaliq Alghamdi was overjoyed by the excellent performance of her children in Dubai, she said, "Our kids have worked hard to excel in the competition and we are very proud of them. This shows that our children have skills and can compete with international students." She urged parents to encourage their children to take part in such contests to enhance their knowledge and capabilities. While celebrating with friends and relatives since the arrival of his children from Dubai, Dr. Mufarreh said, "The overall reaction has been really great by our relatives, friends and schools officials and the children have received so many gifts." In return to the excellent performance of his children, he promised Duaa and Dyhaa to take them through an educational trip to visit the best institutes in math and science. UCMAS (Universal Concept of Mental Arithmetic System) Competition gives an opportunity and a platform for all UCMAS students to showcase their proficiency in Abacus and mental arithmetic skills.
