MUSCAT – ISEF is the largest and most significant exhibition in the world in innovation competitions for school students, with prizes exceeding $8 million across 17 fields and witnessing participation of nearly 2000 students from countries around the world. Oman participated with two innovations, where the Dohat Al-Adab School from Muscat Governorate won the fourth place in environmental engineering with the innovation ‘Using animal bones to produce filaments for a 3D printer’.

Al-Amal School for Basic Education attained success in biomedicine, earning a scholarship at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and a financial grant from Sigma Xi, which includes publication of their research in the scientific journal of the organization and presentation of the research at the International Forum for Scientific Research to be held in November in California.
Highlighting the participation of students in the International Science and Engineering Fair ISEF, Dr. Maya bint Saeed Al Azaria, an educational expert in the office of the Minister of Education in charge of the Department of Innovation and Scientific Olympiads, said the Ministry of Education is keen to enroll students in the best competitive programs that refine their expertise and skills in scientific fields.

Mariam Wahb Al-Rahbia, an eleventh grade student of Dohat Al-Adab School, said she felt honoured to be representing Oman at the ISEF. About the environmental project, she said it aims to reduce the use of plastic, as it is a global problem. “The technology of 3D printing is widespread, and we seek to establish a special factory to produce these filaments in the near future,” she said. Fakhriya Bint Saif Al-Shaibani, Supervisor of the Al-Amal School team, expressed her pride at the achievement and said, “These valuable awards give Oman a global position in the field of innovation; it shows that we are able to overcome the most difficult and achieve the best.”