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The Ministry of Education and the General Authority for Defense Development (GADD) concluded the “Defensethon Challenge," a Defense Innovation Challenge, by honoring 27 winning teams composed of general and university students. The event took place this evening at the Tuwaiq Academy Theater in Riyadh.

His Excellency, Dr. Saad bin Awwadh Al-Harbi, the Vice Minister of Education for General Education, and Eng. Saad Al-Sollmi, the Deputy Governor of the General Authority for Defense Development for the Accelerators and Incubators Sector, honored the winning teams in several categories, including software, unmanned vehicles, robotics, and digital manufacturing, along with the partner entities involved.

His Excellency the Vice Minister of Education for General Education explained that the Ministry's participation in the “Defensethon" challenge resulted from a partnership with the General Authority for Defense Development. He noted that the Ministry of Education aims to prepare globally competitive citizens in alignment with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. This preparation involves empowering students with future skills, particularly technical and digital skills, such as software development, robotics, industrial technologies, and the manufacturing of aircraft and unmanned vehicles. He emphasized that this competition is a practical model for achieving these goals.

His Excellency emphasized that the Ministry is dedicated to developing a specialized educational system in technical fields. Two years ago, the initiative to establish schools for gifted students in this area was launched, starting with one school. Since then, the program has expanded to five educational regions and now includes ten regions. Plans are in place to further extend this initiative to encompass all regions of the Kingdom in the near future, accommodating both boys and girls.

His Excellency added that the expanded concept of talent encompasses other qualitative fields, including athletic and cultural talents.

In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Governor, His Excellency Dr. Faleh Al-Sulaiman, Governor of the General Authority for Defense Development, emphasized the importance of investing in young people. He pointed out the necessity of increasing their understanding of dual-use technologies. He called for empowering them to transform their ideas into practical models that enhance defense innovation and contribute to the knowledge economy.

The challenge event saw significant participation, with over 10,500 participants in its initial (remote) phase. In the final qualifiers, more than 350 participants represented over 35 universities and 1,000 schools from across the Kingdom. The event encompassed four technical fields: software, robotics, unmanned drones and vehicles, and digital manufacturing.

The “Defensethon Challenge," launched during the World Defense Exhibition in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the General Authority for Defense Development (JAD), Tuwaiq Academy, the National Mechanical Systems Company (NCMS), and Colleges of Excellence, aims to empower national students and inspire them to create innovative technological solutions. These solutions are intended to strengthen the defense innovation system and support development goals.

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