Hala February Kuwait 2024

Inside The Promenade mall, the rhythmic click of rotating plastic echoed across the open concourse as competitors took their seats under the bright indoor lighting. Across eight intense rounds of action, sixty-one solvers gathered to test their preparation across six distinct disciplines on February 2, 2024. With regional prestige and championship silverware hanging in the balance, every fraction of a second mattered from the opening scrambles to the final podium walks. The high-stakes atmosphere drew participants from across the region to Hawally, Kuwait, turning the bustling commercial venue into a focused arena of high-speed problem solving.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube tournament delivered top-tier drama across two rounds of play, culminating in a dominant performance by Ahmad Alolaimi. Facing a stacked field of sixty-one entrants, the Kuwaiti standout secured the title with a tournament-winning average of 8.37 seconds alongside a blistering 7.58 single. Abdullah Alhaddad claimed the second step on the podium with a 10.29 average, edging out Jordan's Zakarya Otair who posted a 10.35 mark for third place. These 3x3 results capped off an electric showcase of precision solving on the classic Rubik's Cube.

Ahmad Alolaimi continued his masterclass in the 2x2x2 Cube event, capturing his second gold medal of Hala February Kuwait 2024. Alolaimi navigated fifty-nine competitors across two rounds, locking in first place with a 3.07 average and a 2.47 best single. Ghanim Abdulaziz Almutawa claimed the runner-up spot with a 3.68 average, while Abdulrahman Alali rounded out the all-Kuwait podium with an average of 3.90 seconds. The competition saw deep talent across the board, setting a remarkably fast pace in the shorter formats.

Ghanim Abdulaziz Almutawa asserted complete control over the side events, capturing two titles in commanding fashion. In the Pyraminx division featuring forty-five entrants, Almutawa clinched victory with an impressive 4.26 average and a fast single of 3.82 seconds, finishing ahead of Zakarya Otair's 6.40 average and Ahmad Alolaimi's 6.75 mark. Almutawa then stepped up to Skewb, pacing the twenty-nine competitor field with a winning average of 4.50 and a single of 2.27 seconds. Abdulrahman Alali finished second with a 6.47 average, followed by Farah Omar Alomar in third at 8.32 seconds.

Jordan's Zakarya Otair demonstrated unmatched versatility across the larger and specialty events at Hala February Kuwait 2024. In the 4x4x4 Cube competition, Otair topped the twenty-three competitor roster by producing a 40.23 average and a single of 37.33 seconds, holding off Ahmad Alolaimi who took second with 44.58 seconds and Alkawthar Jaber Akbar who earned third with 1:01.57. Otair also dominated the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division, an event requiring pure memorisation and spatial execution, securing first place with a rapid single of 26.62 seconds over Mohammad Almoumen and Hussain Merza.

Beyond the championship battles at the top, the weekend revealed remarkable personal milestones throughout the order. Saud Abdullah Aldosari delivered one of the most dramatic leaps of the event, recording a 3x3x3 personal best of 40.84 seconds to cut an astounding 65 percent off his previous benchmark. Yamen Monther Shaheen tackled four separate disciplines, securing a 13th-place finish in Pyraminx with a personal best of 7.77 seconds that was 22.3 percent faster than before, while also trimming 26.3 percent off his 3x3x3 best with a 22.04 single and registering a first attempt at Skewb in 17.20 seconds. Bayan Alalawi took on all six events on the schedule, achieving a career-best 7th-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 6:08.98 first attempt, alongside a 42.4 percent Skewb personal best of 7.05 seconds and an 11.6 percent drop in 4x4x4 Cube to 1:13.28.

The spirit of this speed cubing gathering was equally visible in competitors expanding their repertoires for the first time. Sam Sabbah reached 25th in Pyraminx with a 14.63 first attempt, posted a first 2x2x2 attempt of 8.17 seconds, and reduced his 3x3x3 best by 27.2 percent down to 21.96. Faisal Alloghani took on four events, securing 21st in Pyraminx while cutting his Skewb mark by 37.6 percent to 30.47 and his Pyraminx single by 27.2 percent to 9.63. Deema Mahmoud Alshammari made a strong debut at their first WCA competition, competing in five events and finishing 14th in Pyraminx with an 8.56 single, alongside debuts of 11.24 on Skewb and 7.62 on 2x2x2. Sulaiman Aldulaimi also completed their first official tournament, taking 20th in Skewb with a 10.92 debut and adding first marks of 31.93 in 3x3x3 and 15.69 in Pyraminx, while Abdullah Yousef Alkhezi marked their debut by taking on four disciplines including a 23rd-place 4x4x4 finish.

As the final timers were packed away, the host nation celebrated fourteen podium finishes, with four traveling home to Jordan. The single-day speedcubing showcase brought together sixty-one dedicated competitors who pushed each other to new heights across eight competitive rounds. Hala February Kuwait 2024 proved to be an outstanding chapter of sporting excellence, leaving the community energized for the next season of play.