Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University achieved a series of outstanding national and international accomplishments in scientific research and innovation during the 1447 AH academic year (August 2025 – June 2026). The University's students earned prestigious awards and advanced rankings at local, regional, and international competitions, representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with distinction. These achievements reflect the quality of the University's academic and applied education and align with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy and empower national talent.
In engineering innovation and sustainable technologies, the University recorded a landmark national achievement in Qatar during its participation in the Shell Eco-marathon held at Lusail International Circuit in February. A team from the College of Engineering developed two vehicles to compete in the Internal Combustion Engine and Hydrogen categories, making the University the first Arab university to participate with a hydrogen-powered vehicle that successfully passed more than 120 rigorous technical inspections on its first attempt. The internal combustion vehicle also secured first place among Middle Eastern universities after setting a new regional benchmark for fuel efficiency.
Further demonstrating its leadership in innovation, the College of Engineering team claimed first place in the national round of the ninth GCC Robotics Challenge. Organized by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in collaboration with Effat University's College of Engineering in November, the competition qualified the team to represent Saudi Arabia in the regional finals after developing innovative robotic solutions for agriculture and environmental sustainability.
In the health sciences, the College of Dentistry achieved notable success at the 37th Saudi International Dental Conference held in February, where student Raghad Al-Mutairi won first place in the Emerging Researchers category. In May, Mubarak Al-Dosari, a student from the College of Medicine, earned first place in the Oral Presentation Competition during the Eighth Student Research Day hosted by Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. His research on predictive analysis of genetic variations in patients with multiple sclerosis outperformed 64 competing presentations in an event that brought together participants from 23 Saudi universities presenting 166 research posters. Similarly, Joud Al-Meftah, from the College of Pharmacy, secured third place at the Fifth Pharmaceutical Scientific Conference in September for her research on protecting kidney cells from injury, surpassing 148 scientific submissions.
In scientific research, a team of students from the College of Science and Humanities won second place at the Fourth Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University Student Projects Competition in December. Their research project used computational genomic analysis to investigate ferulic acid biosynthesis gene families in Crambe hispanica, a plant species recently documented in NEOM, opening promising opportunities for sustainable biomedical and environmental applications. In April, the King Saud University Conference on Sustainable Development honored two Master's students in Materials Physics, Seham Al-Ahmari and Amjad Al-Daaj, with Excellence Awards for their research in clean energy and water purification.
In the field of information technology, Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, a student from the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and his team "Watheeq" secured a qualifying seat in the National Technology Development Program (NTDP) during the Absher Hackathon held in Riyadh in December. Competing against more than 2,000 teams from across Saudi Arabia, the team advanced through multiple elimination rounds to reach the final 15 teams before being selected among the six overall winners to receive major awards and admission to the national development program.
The University's achievements also extended to professional skills and applied learning. Maha Bin Obaidan, a student in the Culinary Arts Diploma Program at the Applied College, won the Bronze Medal at the HORECA Salon International Competition held in Riyadh in December. Her presentation of the traditional Saudi dish Qursan earned high praise from an international jury, which evaluated entries based on taste, presentation, food safety, and innovation in showcasing cultural heritage.
These remarkable accomplishments reflect Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University's commitment to fostering student innovation and excellence while addressing national priorities in environmental sustainability, technology, healthcare, and scientific research. They also demonstrate the University's continued efforts to align academic outcomes with the Kingdom's development goals and contribute to building a knowledge-driven society.
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