A cultural foundation and business leaders in Aden, Yemen's temporary capital, honored young Waled Al-Saidi Al-Kaldi on Monday for his second-place finish in the "Arab Geniuses" mental arithmetic competition held in Tunisia last June.

The ceremony, organized by the "Saraya Al-Ayashi Community and Cultural Foundation," saw the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor in the internationally recognized Yemeni government, Mohammed Al-Zaouri, praise the achievement as a testament to the strength of the family and its crucial role in educating and nurturing children. He acknowledged the complementary roles of schools and dedicated educators.

Al-Zaouri urged educational institutions, both public and private, civil society organizations, and the government to embrace gifted students with exceptional intellectual abilities in various scientific fields. He called for providing them with the necessary support and creating conducive environments for developing their intellectual and creative capacities.

The Saraya Al-Ayashi Foundation presented Al-Saidi with a shield of honor, a year's worth of school fees, a laptop, and one million Yemeni riyals.

The ceremony also saw the announcement of financial contributions and shields of honor from various entities, including the office of Leadership Council member Abu Zar'a Al-Mahrami, the Aden Business Development Fund, the Al-Armi People's Gathering in Yafa'a, the Janh Al-Salam Foundation, and the Al-Shumul Bank for Islamic Microfinance.

In June, Al-Saidi was declared the second-place winner in the mental arithmetic competition, out of 400 Arab children who participated. The competition was organized and overseen by the International Organization of Human Development Scientists in Tunisia, with support from the French High Authority for Human Development and the Algerian School of Creativity.