RIYADH: Students from Tuwaiq Academy enjoyed outstanding success at the International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition in Malaysia, where they won 12 gold medals and 16 special awards.

Alrebdi bin Fahd Al-Rebdi, director of the Saudi Data and AI Authority’s National Data Management Office, said the students’ performance reflected their creativity and global competitiveness.

He praised them for positively representing the Kingdom, adding the achievement stemmed from ongoing investment in human capital, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

A ceremony honoring the students included a visual presentation on their participation and an exhibition highlighting their projects. Two winners also gave talks about their journeys, challenges and lessons learned.

Meanwhile, the Generation Research and Innovation Enrichment Program was recently launched at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, bringing together more than 90 gifted students from across Saudi Arabia.

Organized by King Abdulaziz City through Academy 32, in partnership with the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, the program aims to introduce students to the basics of scientific research and promote innovation.

It connects participants with research centers and experts, offers practical training and encourages contributions to local scientific content.

Academy 32 CEO Amani Al-Shawi said the program helped develop young talent and prepare them for competition, citing recent successes by Saudi students including at the International Science and Engineering Fair and in Malaysia.

JEDDAH: Al-Ardiyat, a governorate in the Makkah region, is home to many archeological sites dating from earlier periods, including the pre-Islamic Arab eras and the Stone Age.

These include ibex carvings and inscriptions continuing into later centuries, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Abdullah Al-Ruzqi, a researcher of archaeology and history in the governorate, said the inscriptions in Al-Ardiyat fall into three categories: ibex drawings; Nabataean and Thamudic writings; and funerary inscriptions from the first Hijri century, such as the tombstone of Maryam bint Qays.

He also noted several other known and unknown inscriptions and etchings, calling for attention to and protection of these sites.

Al-Ruzqi pointed out that Al-Ardiyat is a testament to history, with numerous inscriptions adorning its mountains, the SPA reported.

He added that the governorate is known for the Thumaidah mine, a 50-meter-long tunnel in rocky mountains containing antimony kohl and lead deposits.

This mine is in a mountainous area stretching from Abyan to Mount Tharban along the western slopes reaching Qanuna Valley, and the eastern slopes extending to Yabah Valley.