ALEXANDRIA - Celebrating the brightest pre-college scientists of the Arab World, Intel and Science Age Society recently announced the top winners of the first Intel Science Competition – Arab World at Bibliotheca Alexandrina in the coastal city of Alexandria, under the patronage of the Arab League. Fatimah Abdulhakim from Saudi Arabia received a Grand award of $3,000 for her project on “Super Swabs”, Sarah Al-Shaarawy and Yousr Al Shaarawy from Egypt received $2,500 and Woroud Al-Rimawi from Palestine received $2,000. One hundred and two young scientists presenting 68 projects from 10 Arab countries were selected to compete in the first Intel Science Competition – Arab World held at Bibliotheca Alexandrina, including Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia und the United Arab Emirates. In addition to the winners mentioned above, 16 additional projects received ‘Best of Category awards', 10 received ‘Best of Country' awards and three others received scholarships from Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime and Transportation. The event was attended by Khaled Al-Habbas, Advisor to the Secretary-General of the Arab League who attended on behalf of Amr Moussa, Arab League Secretary-General, Essam Sharaf, Science Age Society CEO, Shelly Esque, Intel Vice President for Legal and Corporate Affairs, Director of Corporate Affairs Group and President of the Intel Foundation, Hoda el-Mikati, Bibliotheca Alexandrina Director of the Planetarium Science Centre, Arab and African ambassadors ministers of education and higher education, university presidents, as well as regional academics and scientists. Arab strategic partners participating in the competition included UAE Ministry of Education, Oman Ministry of Education, King Abdul Aziz and His Companions Foundation for the Gifted (Mawhiba) in Saudi Arabia, Hariri Foundation in Lebanon, Ministry of Education in Palestine, Ministry of Education in Jordan, Ministry of Education in Egypt, Ministry of Education in Morocco, Ministry of Education in Tunisia, Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt, Ministry of Education in Kuwait and the Kuwait Science Club. Essam Sharaf, Chairman of the Science Age Society and former transport minister of Egypt, explained that the competition, the first of its kind, creates an opportunity for pre-college Arab students to compete with each other and encourages families, schools and the society at large to support youths to build a knowledge society in the Arab world. "We at Science Age Society promote the culture of science and the importance of training all school teachers on the ethics and methodology of scientific research. Our strategic partnership with Intel to organise this competition for the first time in the Arab world comes out of our belief that focusing on students' creative skills has become a basic need." “The Intel Science Competition is the first of its kind in the Arab world. These finalists represent the best and the brightest young scientists, innovators and leaders from the Arab world,” said Shelly Esque, Intel Vice-President for Legal and Corporate Affairs, Director of Corporate Affairs Group and President of the Intel Foundation, who was visiting Egypt at the time of the Competition. “Judging by the caliber of the projects presented this week, I am confident that these young innovators will make our world a better place.” Hoda el-Mikaty, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Planetarium Science Centre said: “Today is a day to remember, where we witness the birth of our future Arabic speaking science society. Our young scientists and researchers are expected to take the lead in venturing in new horizons of science and technology discoveries for the welfare of mankind. Our gift to these talented youth is giving them the opportunity to excel in science and technology, where we expect them to exert all efforts to enrich the advancement of science and technology on all levels: national, regional and international”. The finalists were selected from 68 projects spanning from biochemistry and microbiology, to computer science, to electrical and mechanical engineering to energy and transport and much more. Their projects were evaluated onsite by 28 judges representing 10 Arab countries from nearly every scientific discipline, each with a PhD or the equivalent of 10 years of related professional experience in one of the scientific disciplines. It is funded jointly by the Intel Foundation and Science Age Society, with additional support from other corporate, academic, government and science-focused sponsors. More specifically, this year's sponsors were the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime and Transportation, and the Information Technology Industry Development Agency.
