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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s International Chemistry Olympiad team have arrived with four medals won at the 55th session of the event held in Switzerland from July 16 to 25.

At the end of the Olympiad, the IChO flag was handed over by the president of this year’s event, Gunther Dissertori, to Saudi Arabia, which will be the host next year from July 22 to 31 in Riyadh.

Saudi student Ali Al-Mousa, who is in his second year at secondary school in the Eastern Province, and won one of the silver medals, told Arab News: “Representing the Kingdom abroad and winning the silver medal makes me feel proud and has an indescribable feeling.

“Our winning of four silver medals is a significant achievement, and I will participate next year when the competition is held in Saudi Arabia in its 56th session.”

Another medalist, Hassan Al-Khalifa, who is a second-year secondary school student in the Eastern Province, told Arab News: “I always wanted to visit Switzerland for the Olympiad, and when I finally went, I came back with a silver medal.

“This is a fantastic accomplishment for me, and I want to encourage students who are younger than me and enjoy chemistry to attempt and keep trying until they succeed. I stumbled often but eventually succeeded.”

Mohammed Al-Hadlaq and Ali Al-Saleh, both in their third year at secondary school in Riyadh, also won medals.

The students have been guided by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions’ Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, or Mawhiba, a non-profit endowment organization that supports talented students in scientific fields.

Next year, Riyadh will host the first Olympiad in the Kingdom, which will include 89 countries, in partnership with Mawhiba, the Ministry of Education, King Saud University, and sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s Basic Industries Corporation.

The IChO is an annual international competition in chemistry for high school students held over 10 days. Students have to complete practical and theoretical tests, each over 5 hours.

The country hosting the Olympiad prepares questions for contestants. Each team has to consist of four students under 20. A steering committee supervises the Olympiad, consisting of members representing different continents.