Royal approval granted for the Kingdom to host the third edition of INSO 2026, with 19 countries and around 120 students and scientific specialists participating

Jeddah | BETH

Saudi Arabia will host the third edition of the International Nuclear Science Olympiad, INSO 2026, in Jeddah from August 2 to 9, following royal approval for the event, which will bring together around 120 students and scientific specialists representing 19 countries.

The Olympiad is jointly organized by the Ministry of Education, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity “Mawhiba,” and King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, with King Abdulaziz University hosting the competitions.

The opening ceremony will be held on Monday, August 3, under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region.

Peaceful Nuclear Science

The International Atomic Energy Agency approved the International Nuclear Science Olympiad in 2024 as a platform for competition and the exchange of expertise among students in nuclear science and its peaceful applications.

It aims to promote the safe use of nuclear technologies, encourage young people to specialize in this field, and develop solutions and innovations that expand its applications in medicine, energy, industry, agriculture, and scientific research.

The Kingdom’s hosting of the event follows its participation in the first edition in the Philippines in 2024 and the second in Malaysia in 2025. Saudi students won five international awards across the two editions, including one silver medal and three bronze medals.

Saudi Arabia is also continuing its record of hosting major scientific competitions, following the International Chemistry Olympiad in Riyadh in 2024 and the Asian Physics Olympiad in the Eastern Province in 2025.

BETH Analysis | Knowledge Before the Reactor

The significance of hosting the Olympiad extends beyond organizing a student competition. It moves nuclear science away from the complex or military image it holds in some minds and presents it as a field of knowledge connected to medicine, energy, food, the environment, and industry.

It also places Saudi students at an early stage within an international network of talent and experts, giving them an opportunity to understand the science before entering university or the labor market.

Building a peaceful nuclear sector does not begin with purchasing a reactor or constructing a facility. It begins by preparing people capable of understanding, operating, developing, and ensuring the safety of the technology.

This is the Olympiad’s deeper value:

Saudi Arabia hosts the competition today to help produce, from among its participants, the scientists and engineers who will lead nuclear science applications tomorrow.