Gifted Students Complex in Marib: Building Futures Amidst War's Shadow

In Marib, a city more accustomed to conflict than classrooms, the Model Complex for Gifted Students stands as a beacon of hope. Built and fully funded by the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, the center is nurturing young minds in science and mathematics, demonstrating the power of education amidst the ravages of war.

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Even as the war reached one of its fiercest stages, the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen pushed ahead. What seemed at the time like an educational gamble in the middle of a battlefield has become one of Yemen’s clearest examples of investment in people.

Just four years ago, during intense Houthi attacks on Marib in 2022, the construction site was perilously close to ongoing conflict. A ballistic missile struck a nearby house, starkly illustrating the clash between building a future and destroying it. Despite the fierce fighting, the Saudi program pressed on, investing in people even on a battlefield.

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The center was no ordinary education project. It was a dream long held by Sheikh Sultan al-Arada, vice president of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and governor of Marib. He recalled proposing the idea to the Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber, who quickly approved the establishment and full equipping of the project.

The complex, a long-held dream of Marib Governor Sheikh Sultan al-Arada, became a reality after he proposed the idea to the Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber. Officially opening in 2024, it has since enrolled over 200 students, many displaced by the war. The center has become a symbol of rebuilding minds, reflecting a belief that national reconstruction begins with its people.

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Since its official opening in 2024, more than 200 high-achieving students have enrolled at the center. Many come from different Yemeni provinces after the war forced their families to flee to Marib. Here, in a city often described as the last line of defense for the republic, Saudi Arabia is fighting a different kind of battle: a battle to build minds, based on the belief that rebuilding people comes before rebuilding nations.

Dr. Mohammed al-Qairi, the complex's director, highlighted its impact, noting that demand far exceeded expectations. For the first intake, 246 students applied, with only 120 selected. This academic year, admissions were reduced to 90 out of 213 applicants to maintain educational quality. The center now serves students from across Yemen, making Marib a hub for talent despite the ongoing war.

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The center’s opening in 2024 marked a turning point for quality education in the province. Demand, he said, exceeded expectations from the first day.