المملكة: 140 innovators from Western universities qualify for the national competition in the “Metal Challenge”

The first-ever “Metal Challenge” preliminary competition, hosted by King Abdulaziz University announced that 140 contestants in 27 teams from universities in the Western Region qualified for the final camp of the national stage.

The preliminary competition paves the way for the contestants to participate in the global competition scheduled for the fifth edition of the International Mining Conference in 2026.

The competition, which was held on Saturday, October 11, 2025, witnessed At the King Faisal Convention Center, three winning teams were honored with valuable financial prizes, as the “Mining Vision” team won first place in the Smart technologies, while the “Metaminds” team excelled in the security and safety track, and the “AQUORA” team won in the resource sustainability track.

This round began with wide participation that included 195 contestants from various universities in the western region, who formed 36 teams that competed seriously in three vital and future tracks, which included smart technologies in mining services and operations, And security and safety standards, in addition to the sustainability of resources in this vital sector.

In this context, the Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at King Abdulaziz University, Dr. Saud Wassili, confirmed that this competition comes within the framework of the strategic interest that the state gives to the mining sector.

He explained that the initiative, which was launched by the National Industrial Development and Logistics Services Program “NADLB” in cooperation with The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources aims to accelerate the pace of innovation and spread awareness of the importance of the sector, noting that the total of its prizes exceeds two million riyals.

Dr. Wassali added that this national stage, which targets students and researchers in universities, plays a pivotal role in empowering and developing Saudi talents and enhancing their competitive capabilities on the global stage.

He stated that During the preparatory camp, the participants received extensive training through specialized workshops, and learned about the most prominent challenges in the sector. They also received direct guidance from experts and arbitrators, which raises their level of readiness for the upcoming international competition.

The honoring ceremony was held under the patronage of the University’s Vice President for Postgraduate Studies and Scientific Research, Professor Dr. Amin bin Youssef Noman, and in the presence of representatives of the partner entities, Among them are the Vice President of Licensing Management at “Esnad” Company, Engineer Muhammad Al-Sultan, and the General Director of Innovation in the “Nadlab” Program, Ms. Wissam Al-Zamil, where the winners, partners, and organizing committees were honored in appreciation of their efforts.