Two student teams from the College of Engineering at Northern Border University have qualified to participate in the global Future Minerals Pioneers competition, held as part of the International Mining Conference in Riyadh. The conference brings together leading researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and industry representatives from around the world and serves as an international platform for showcasing innovative solutions in the mining and minerals sector.
The competition witnessed wide participation, with 1,812 participants forming 371 teams representing 57 countries

 A total of 70 teams from 32 countries, drawn from leading international universities, advanced to the final round to present their projects before specialized international judging panels. Among these finalists were two teams from the College of Engineering at Northern Border University an achievement that reflects the students’ excellence and their ability to compete in high-level innovation environments.
In addition, female students from the College participated in the accompanying training camp held in Riyadh from 8–10 January, which focused on developing ideas, refining project models, and enhancing teams’ readiness for final presentations. The camp contributed to strengthening students’ scientific and practical skills and enriching their experience in innovation and entrepreneurship within the minerals sector.

The Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. Abdulaziz Fareeh Al-Anzi, affirmed that this achievement aligns with the University’s approach to supporting talent and innovation, empowering students to transform their ideas into high-quality, scalable projects, and strengthening their engagement with national priorities in the mining sector. He added that the teams’ participation was supervised and supported by Dr. Mona Al-Toumi, Assistant Professor at the College of Engineering.