MANAMA, Bahrain,  Sept 8: Three Kuwaiti students have emerged victorious in the second Gulf Hackathon on employing artificial intelligence (AI) in public education, held in Manama on Saturday. Kuwaiti students Hawra Al-Sharif and Ahmed Al-Sharika secured first place for their project "Education Compass," while Abdulwahab Haidar earned third place for his project "Interactive Educational Platform."

The awards were presented during a ceremony organized by the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States in collaboration with the Bahraini Ministry of Education. Mona Awad, Acting General Technical Supervisor of Computers at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education, expressed her pride in the students' achievements. Speaking to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on the sidelines of the ceremony, Awad described the accomplishment as “wonderful” and “an incentive for them to continue their creativity in this field,” wishing them continued success.

Awad highlighted that five Kuwaiti students had qualified after participating in a three-week summer camp, followed by a three-day intensive camp in Bahrain, where the final results were determined. She praised the Gulf Hackathon for offering students a valuable opportunity to learn from the latest experiences and expertise of participating teams, contributing to the development of their skills.

Ahmed Al-Sharika, one of the first-place winners, explained that the "Education Compass" project is a platform designed to assist students in selecting the most suitable university major. The platform offers a simple test to determine a student’s preferred subjects, skills, and hobbies and then recommends the most appropriate majors. Al-Sharika expressed gratitude to the Arab Bureau of Education, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education, and the organizers of the camp, as well as to Bahrain for hosting the event.

Hawra Al-Sharif, who also won first place, expressed her pride in raising Kuwait’s name high in the Gulf Artificial Intelligence Camp Competition. She extended her thanks to everyone who supported her in achieving this success.

Abdulwahab Haidar, who won third place for his "Interactive Educational Platform" project, expressed his happiness with the achievement. His project aims to enhance the interactive aspect of the educational process by utilizing AI technologies to develop various educational fields.

Dr. Mohammad Al-Daghim, Head of the Kuwaiti Cultural Office in Manama, praised the exceptional performance of Kuwaiti students in the Gulf competition, noting that their skills reflect Kuwait’s strong potential in various fields when given the opportunity. He emphasized that winning in such a competitive scientific field is a source of pride for Kuwait and congratulated the students, the Ministry of Education, and the Kuwaiti leadership.

Bahraini Minister of Education Mohammed Juma also lauded the Arab Bureau of Education for organizing the event and expressed his delight that Bahrain hosted it, especially as the kingdom is focusing on integrating AI into its educational curriculum. He stressed that AI has become an essential tool in all areas of life, particularly in education, and emphasized the importance of incorporating it into school curricula to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills.

During the ceremony, Abdulrahman Al-Asimi, Director of the Arab Bureau of Education, underscored the growing importance of AI as one of the key drivers of growth and innovation, particularly in the education sector. He noted that AI offers promising solutions to address educational challenges and improve outcomes. Al-Asimi also highlighted the bureau's commitment to advancing the Gulf Observatory and supporting it with innovative practices and applications to achieve the goals of member states and prepare future generations for technological advancements and challenges.

The second Gulf Hackathon for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Public Education, held in Bahrain, featured 34 distinguished male and female secondary school students from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. Participants, divided into six teams, worked on developing their capabilities in AI and creating innovative, technology-based projects. (KUNA)