A pioneering Saudi initiative to serve talented individuals globally
In a historic step reflecting its growing leadership in education and human capital development, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launched today, Sunday, the first global index specializing in assessing the care of gifted individuals. This significant announcement was made under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Education, Mr. Yousef Al-Bunyan, during the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Conference on Talent and Creativity 2026, hosted by the city of Jeddah with broad international participation, including representatives from more than 40 countries worldwide.
Background and context of the event: Investing in minds within Vision 2030
This achievement is the culmination of years of Saudi efforts in discovering and nurturing talent, a cornerstone of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) serves as a successful national model in this field. Since its inception, Mawhiba has worked to build a comprehensive system for identifying gifted students across various scientific and creative disciplines and providing them with advanced enrichment programs both locally and internationally. The launch of this global index is a natural extension of this national expertise, aiming to share it with the world and establish unified standards that contribute to improving methods of nurturing gifted individuals globally.
The importance of the index and its expected impact
The Global Talent Index aims to provide a scientific and systematic tool for measuring and evaluating the quality of policies, programs, and practices implemented in gifted education across different countries. It is expected to have multiple positive impacts
- At the local level: The index enhances the Kingdom’s position as a global center for educational innovation and a hub of expertise in the field of talent, and encourages the continuous development of the national system.
- At the regional level: It provides a model and standard that neighboring countries can use to develop their own programs, creating positive momentum in the region.
- At the international level: The index fills a significant gap in the field of assessing gifted education, and provides countries and decision-makers with a basis for benchmarking, sharing best practices, and directing educational investments more effectively to serve this important group of students.
International conference on shaping the future of gifted education
The conference, hosted by the University of Business and Technology (UBT) on Jeddah's Corniche, is being held under the theme "Towards Progress: Building a Better Future for Gifted Education 2050." It brings together over 1,000 innovators, gifted individuals, decision-makers, and educational experts, and features more than 100 speakers and experts, making it a vital global platform for discussing the latest trends in gifted education and exploring the role of modern technologies such as artificial intelligence in reshaping this field. The conference's general coordinator, Dr. Laila Jamjoom, emphasized that this gathering aims to unify visions and a shared commitment to advancing gifted education and establishing international frameworks for cooperation that will shape the future of this vital sector.
