Riyadh Emir Prince Khalid Bin Bandar presents a plaque to Fahad Al-Sherehy, general manager of SABIC Technology Center, as Minister of Education Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah looks on during the closing ceremony of the National Olympics for Scientific Creativity. — SG photo Saeed Al-Khotani Saudi Gazette
RIYADH — The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) was honored for its strategic sponsorship of the “National Olympics for Scientific Creativity.” The Olympics was organized by King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity and the Ministry of Education in Riyadh last week under the support of Prince Khalid Bin Bandar, Emir of Riyadh. During the event, a strategic sponsorship agreement for the Olympics was announced and signed by Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC vice chairman and CEO, and Khalid Al-Sebti, deputy minister of education and secretary general of the foundation. About 400 projects from all over the Kingdom will be short-listed for the Olympics finals. The winners will be nominated to represent the Kingdom at various international scientific competitions. Since its initiation in 2011, the Olympics has documented the scientific ideas of 113,000 students. Commenting on SABIC's sponsorship of the project, Al-Mady said, “The sponsorship is in response to the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, chairman of the foundation, to build an environment of creativity among the scientific community in Saudi Arabia. The aim is to harness the talents of citizens in various fields in the service of the nation.” Al-Mady added, “SABIC's corporate social responsibility strategy is committed to support the community and its advancement. The company's sponsorship of the Olympics is intended to rouse interest among students in science education, and to provide a competitive environment for the nation's talented people. We hope to stimulate their creative spirits, identify talent and scientific capabilities, and enable them to be more competitive at international events with their creative ideas and innovations.” Addressing the closing ceremony, Fahad Al-Sherehy, general manager of SABIC Technology Center in Riyadh, spoke on the company's efforts to support talented young Saudis. He detailed the company's programs for educational sponsorships of students for pursuing their studies in many countries around the world. The program is designed to prepare the youths for leadership roles.
