Saudi Arabia Secures First Place Globally In WAICY 2025 AI Competition With 26 Awards

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved a significant milestone by securing the top position globally in the World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY) 2025. The Kingdom outperformed the United States, which took second place, followed by Indonesia in third, and Canada and Pakistan sharing fourth place. This victory adds to Saudi Arabia's growing list of international achievements in artificial intelligence.

More than 10,000 innovative projects were submitted in this year's competition. These projects utilised AI technologies to tackle various global challenges related to climate change, health, education, culture, and social innovation. Participants showcased their work across four main categories: AI Showcase Track, AI-Generated Art Track, AI-Generated Video Track, and AI Large Language Model Track.

Saudi Arabia's success was marked by winning 26 awards through the efforts of over 18,000 students from different educational levels. These students earned 11 medals and developed 163 projects that competed fiercely to reach the finals. The winning projects covered diverse fields such as AI-generated videos, large language models, and cultural initiatives focusing on Najdi heritage.

The Kingdom's triumph is part of its ongoing progress in various AI-related areas. This includes sector growth, increased employment rates, and attracting specialised talent in artificial intelligence. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has achieved high global rankings in leading AI models while raising public awareness about AI throughout 2025.

The victorious projects included awards in the AI-Generated Art Track and other categories. These contributions played a crucial role in securing Saudi Arabia's first-place finish globally in the competition. The diversity of themes among the winning entries highlights the Kingdom's commitment to advancing technology across multiple sectors.

This achievement underscores Saudi Arabia's dedication to fostering innovation and excellence within its youth population. By encouraging students to engage with cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, the Kingdom is positioning itself as a leader in technological advancements on the world stage.

Saudi Arabia's continued success in international competitions like WAICY reflects its strategic focus on developing a robust AI ecosystem. This includes investing in education and research to nurture future generations capable of driving technological progress both locally and globally.

With inputs from SPA