JEDDAH: An eight-year-old inventor from Saudi Arabia won an international competition for designing a pair of glasses that aim to help blind people navigate the world safely.

Lama Al-Badin, from Dammam, won an $800 cash prize for her Vision Friend design after beating nearly 1,000 entries from 19 countries in the “Glasses of the Future” competition.

Organized by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, the competition challenged children worldwide to reimagine eyewear to support eye health and accessibility.

Al-Badin’a design impressed the jury with its cameras and sensors that would detect obstacles and alert blind and visually-impaired users of dangers through various alarm sounds and vibrations.

“I always have scientific discussions with my family at home, which often spark various ideas that serve life in meaningful ways,” Al-Badin told Arab News.

“When I learned about the competition through a school announcement, the idea for the glasses emerged. I envisioned them as a companion to help people face road dangers through sensor systems. I wanted to add warning tones to enhance their auditory sensitivity and active awareness.”

Her design incorporates eco-friendly materials such as bamboo and recycled plastic, and includes cutting-edge features like sensors, an alarm system, and a multi-functional charging case.

Despite her young age, Al-Badin demonstrated resourcefulness throughout the competition. She acknowledged the challenges she faced during the design phase and said, “embarking on a new experience was an exciting challenge for me.

“During the design phase, the main challenge was translating my idea and vision from paper into a digital design. At that point, I sought help from my older sister because I hadn’t yet learned this type of drawing.”

Winning the competition has brought immense pride to her family and the country. She said: “I feel happy and proud. Winning is a motivation for me to develop further and achieve more accomplishments.

“I feel proud and hope to be an active member in the development and building of my beloved country.”

Her family, too, played a pivotal role in her journey. “They were very happy with this wonderful achievement. My family is my primary supporter, and I thank them.

“They have been my source of inspiration and encouragement. Praise be to God, I live in an aware family. At home, we love exchanging information and brainstorming solutions to all kinds of problems.”

Al-Badin’s design resonated with Caroline Casey, president of the IAPB and a member of the competition jury.

“The thing that stood out the most was how conscious and aware Lama was about her role in protecting the planet that she lives on and her ability to see how technology can be an enabler,” she told Arab News.

“In her mind, there were no barriers in the way of creating a product that was friendly to the planet and friendly to humans. When you consider her glasses, you’d think, ‘Yeah, why aren’t I doing it?’”

She continued: “A young person’s imagination doesn’t seem to focus on what we can’t achieve but on what is possible. I just love her approach and can’t wait to wear a pair.”

Casey also underscored the broader impact of initiatives like the “Glasses of the Future” competition. She said: “I want every child to be able to ‘see their future,’ both literally and metaphorically. Ensuring that every single child on this planet has access to affordable, accessible eyecare and health determines the future potential of our global citizenship and planet.”

Alongside Al-Badin, five-year-old Grace Rita from Kenya won the Younger Kids category for her vibrant and imaginative glasses, A Friend for My Eyes.

Rita’s design focuses on making eyewear fun and approachable for children with features like glow-in-the-dark frames and customizable lenses.

Besides Casey, the competition’s judging panel was composed of a global jury of experts, including Jo Frost, parenting expert and TV personality, and Dr. Prabha Choksi, ophthalmologist and founder of the Dr. Choksi Vitiligo Foundation.

Frost told Arab News: “I was truly impressed by the creativity and innovation of these little geniuses, each design brought a big smile of joy. We can all agree that eye health is often overlooked in our busy day-to-day lives of raising children, despite its importance to a child’s development and future.

“However, with Lama’s design’s inclusiveness, scientific aspects, and Grace’s bright and inspiring colors, these designs not only demonstrate the need to engage children in the global conversation about eye health but also empower eyewear wearers around the world.”

The competition also comes on the heels of critical research by the IAPB, which revealed that children with low vision learn only half as much as their peers with good or corrected vision in school.

This study, released in collaboration with the Seva Foundation on World Sight Day, underscores the profound impact of early interventions like eye exams and prescription glasses.

JEDDAH: Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed topped Friday’s Free Practice in the GT World Challenge finale at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with Jules Gounon leading the way in a two-hour session that began in daylight and ended with the sun setting over the Red Sea. 

The 6 Hours of Jeddah race marks the final race of the GTWC season with Mercedes, Porsche and Ferrari battling it out for the title.

Gounon was the first driver to break the two-minute barrier, posting a 1m 59.839s at the halfway mark. He subsequently shaved a further three hundredths of this to end Free Practice with a 1m 59.804s. 

Matteo Cairoli came within touching distance of Gounon’s benchmark with a 1m 59.894s during the final 30 minutes. In doing so, the Iron Lynx Lamborghini jumped ahead of Maro Engel, whose time of 2m 00.093s demonstrated that the Mercedes Team Mann-Filter entry is fully up to speed following its testing accident on Thursday.

Gold Cup title favorite Sainteloc Racing placed fourth overall with Gilles Magnus at the wheel of the Audi. The Rutronik Racing Porsche continued the strong pace it demonstrated on Thursday by placing fifth overall and leading the Bronze Cup thanks to Loek Hartog.

The Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG was sixth, followed by the title-chasing AF Corse Francorchamps Motors Ferrari.

Sainteloc Racing also paced the Silver Cup with its #26 Audi. Kobe Pauwels posted a 2m 00.494s to place 19th overall. A total of 47 cars were on-track during Free Practice following the withdrawal of the Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin, which crashed during Thursday’s Bronze Test. 

In contrast with Thursday’s sessions, Free Practice brought almost no on-track incidents. A number of cars brushed the wall as they tested the limits of the high-speed Jeddah circuit, but there were no stoppages during the two-hour run.

However, there was more bad news for the Walkenhorst squad, which suffered a serious fire in one of its Aston Martins. No one was harmed in the incident, though the car’s continued participation in the event is unclear.