In 1999 The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, following the recommendations of scholars and researchers from the Ministry of Education, the ( then) Presidency of Girls’ Education, the King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology, and King Saud University, announced the creation of the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for the Gifted.
Under a Board of Directors, comprised of princes, ministers, business people, and eminent specialists, the Foundation has been directed to coordinate and supervise all efforts at identifying the gifted and talented, assisting them in their education and supporting them in their productive endeavors.
Over the past five years, the Foundation has made great strides in creating the basic framework and organization for attaining those goals.

Goals

• To Facilitate and Foster giftedness, Invention and Creativity.
• To Create Professional pathways in the areas of Medicine, Environmental Science, Communication, Education, the Arts, Telecommunication, Engineering Science, and Technology.
• To Support and provide enriched educational activity for the gifted and talented students of the Kingdom.
• To educate the population (parents, teachers, and employers) about methods of nurturing gifts and talents.
• To assist educational and professional institutions across the Kingdom in the creation of a comprehensive program for the gifted and talented.

Programs
An on-Going Success Story… The Foundation functions as an initiator, a broker, and a clearinghouse for scholarships targeting the talented. Helping young scholars find the funding to continue their pursuit of excellence is a serious objective of the Foundation.
A prime example occurred over the last two years as the Foundation helped Hayat Sindi complete her Doctoral Program in bio-technology at Cambridge University. Besides making a contribution in the field of medicine, practical applications of her research with acoustic sensors have stretched into robotics and aviation sciences. The Foundation is very proud of its involvement with Dr. Sindi.

Invention & Inventors
 The office of the Scientific Affairs of the Foundation is making an effort to become a center for the inventive spirit of the Kingdome. We are developing an organization that nurtures new ideas, facilitates the inventive process, and supports inventors as they bring their creations to the marketplace.
Furthermore, we have created an on-going forum on invention. Led by some of the best minds in the Kingdom, the Foundation addresses issues as practical as current trends in Science, Engineering and Technology or as cutting edge as the role of creativity in the future of Saudi education. Recently, the Foundation supported the work of Dr. Amro K. Al Qutub of the King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology. Dr. Al Qutub’s refinements of the internal combustion engine are truly exciting.
The ‘Qutub Engine’ is lighter, smaller, and more powerful than similar engines currently on the market. Uniquely, it is capable of burning several types of fuel with reduced emissions.. a great help to our planet’s environment and to economically challenged communities of the world. 

Educational Support
 The Foundation funds and supports the Ministry of Education’s six regional centers for gifted education. These centers – in Riyadh, Jeddah, Taif, Madinah, Dammam, and
Al Hassa – work at identifying gifted children , provide them with enriched educational activity, and assist in the continuing education of the whole community about the nature of giftedness and the role that talents and talented people will play in the future of the Kingdom.Additionally, the Foundation is committed to the on-going education of all those who contribute to the lives of gifted children. The Foundation works hard at providing informational seminars and workshops for parents as well as pre-service and in-service training for teachers and counselors.

Indispensable Partnership
 Much of the work accomplished by the Foundation is fueled by the cooperation, funds, and talent of local and international corporations. The Following are excellent examples of how our goals are being accomplished with the help of these corporate partnerships.

SAMBA BANK – Since the summer of 2002 SAMBA has funded summer camps for gifted girls in Al Khobar, Riyadh, and Jeddah. These camps focus on the world of banking and business, and SAMBA uses the bank’s environment and staff to greatly expand both the skills and the horizons of our young women.

SAUDI ARAMCO – Each year, since the opening of the Foundation, Saudi Aramco has fully funded a Science and Technology Summer Camp. This camp is an intensive immersion into the life and work of Scientists and Engineers. For a month students are housed at a local university while spending time at the Company’s Dhahran Headquarters. This program is designed to further student understanding of science, engineering, and problem solving as well as to demonstrate the importance and future of the energy industry.

EXXON MOBIL – Since 2002, Exxon Mobil has generously funded the Science and Technology summer program at King Fahad University for Petroleum and Minerals. It also provided equipment for the Riyadh Center for gifted girls and sponsored the First Exhibition of Photographs by Saudi Women.

MICROSOFT – In the Summer of 2001, Microsoft funded three enrichment summer camps for young men and women. These highly successful camps, in Riyadh and Jeddah, addressed Web Design and Web-Related Technology.

 Finally, an exciting series of summer camps studying Public Relations and Journalism were created, hosted, and delivered by a trio of national news agencies. Two camps for young men were developed, one by RIYADH newspaper in Riyadh and the other by OKAZ in Jeddah. Similarly, ALMADINA created a Journalism camp for young women in Jeddah.

Our Future
THE KING ABULAZIZ FOUNDATION is gearing up for future events which include

• Conferences on Different Aspects of Giftedness.
• An increasing number of Summer Camps (in Science, Math, Media and Technology).
• Invent Arabia! (A program for young Saudi inventors).
• Continuing development of Scholarship Services and the Inventors Forum.
• Continuing the Annual Saudi Inventors’ Conference and Exhibition.
• Establishing Science and Math Academies for Gifted students.
• Establishing an Incubator for Saudi inventors.

Should You Become a Partner?
 The rationale for becoming involved with the Foundation’s array of programs and projects is self-evident. You will be joining a network of influential men and women who are committed to the education of the gifted and talented in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
You will become involved not only with the leaders of Saudi Arabia today but also with the gifted leaders of Saudi Arabia tomorrow. Great things can be accomplished by working together on such a task – partnerships that last for generations can be forged.
Acknowledgements of contributions will be frequently mentioned in our bimonthly journal and seen on the banner of the Foundation’s Website.
Full membership privileges are available. They include an annual subscription to the Foundation’s journal (Mauhibah) invitations to al Foundation functions: conferences, seminars and forums. Finally full memberships carry voting all, making you a true partner in the long-term growth of this institution.
Corporation sponsorship can be directed at any combination of events or programs.
Foundation Program Officers are ready to assist corporate sponsors in planning their contributions