Kuwait Side Events 2024

Twenty competitors assembled on July 19, 2024, to tackle a demanding 12-round schedule across 11 different events. Held at the Kuwait Mind Sports Association in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Kuwait Side Events 2024 put the regional community directly in the spotlight. The successful staging of such an ambitious, dense program rested entirely on the shoulders of the organizers, delegates, and community volunteers. Managing multi-layered schedules that ranged from blindfolded solving to big cubes required steady officiating, precise timekeeping, and continuous coordination across every single station.

The operational rhythm set by the organizing team allowed the specialty disciplines of speedcubing to shine. Unlike standard tournament formats that emphasize straightforward speed rounds, this cubing competition prioritized events that demand deep tactical preparation and mental endurance. Competitors took full advantage of the smooth logistics, producing fierce races on the tables while the staff kept the rotation moving seamlessly through each stage of the single-day meet.

Zakarya Otair of Jordan produced a commanding run across multiple disciplines, claiming top honors in six separate categories. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Otair captured the victory with a winning average of 1:08.54 after laying down a best single of 1:04.67 across 14 competitors. Vincenzo Maria Gammino of Italy took second in the event with a 1:17.08 average, while Saudi Arabia competitor Khaled Al-Hathlool finished third with 1:30.08. Otair also dominated the Megaminx division, setting a winning average of 1:09.87 and a single of 54.94 to lead Ahmad Alolaimi of Kuwait, who finished second in 1:30.61.

The blindfolded and tactical categories delivered some of the most dramatic moments of the entire meet. Zakarya Otair secured the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title across two rounds with a best single of 19.76, while Khaled Al-Hathlool took second in 1:18.48 and Hasan Hashem Alwazzan finished third in 2:41.21. Otair added another victory in 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a 3:49.64 single ahead of Kuwait competitor Hussain Merza, who registered a 30:42.00 mark. In 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, where competitors spend an hour finding the shortest sequence rather than reviewing standard 3x3 results, Otair secured first place with a 34-move solution, edging Gammino and Alwazzan who shared second place on 37 moves.

Away from the top of the standings, the tournament was defined by personal breakthroughs and ambitious new event debuts. Shaikha Albarjas took on four events, earning a fifth-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a first attempt of 7:31.22 while dropping her Clock personal best to 9.64, an improvement of 83.1 percent over her former 57.08 mark. Abdulmohsen Almunayes entered five events, logging a first attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 4:01.39, a first Square-1 attempt of 54.20 on his way to seventh place, and cutting his Clock mark by 53.1 percent to 28.77. Ghanim Abdulaziz Almutawa tackled seven events, placing fourth in 6x6x6 Cube, recording a first 7x7x7 Cube attempt of 6:47.08, and lowering his 5x5x5 Cube mark by 23.6 percent to 1:33.51 alongside a 17.8 percent drop in 6x6x6 Cube to 3:40.63. Hussain Jaber Ashkanani stepped onto the floor for a first WCA competition, logging a first Megaminx result of 3:34.25 to place 13th.

The spirit of testing new formats continued throughout the field as solvers embraced unfamiliar puzzles. Sayed Haidar Almousawi took on three events and earned an eighth-place finish in 6x6x6 Cube with a first attempt of 5:21.78 while also recording a first 5x5x5 Cube attempt of 2:34.78. Abdulrahman Alali entered five events, placing sixth in Clock while submitting first career attempts in Square-1 at 40.98, Megaminx at 2:17.15, and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:33.98. Yamen Monther Shaheen contested two events, finishing ninth in Clock with a first attempt of 26.02. Husain Khuraibet took sixth place in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a first-ever mark of 46, while Ali Hasan Ashknani entered three events to take fourth in Fewest Moves and logged a first 5x5x5 Cube attempt of 3:10.61.

Big cube mastery was on full display in the afternoon sessions, where Vincenzo Maria Gammino led the field across both the 6x6x6 Cube and 7x7x7 Cube events. In the 6x6x6 Cube, Gammino delivered a winning average of 2:04.84 with a single of 1:55.07 to top a field of 10 competitors. He followed up in the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:53.75 average and a 2:50.71 single among eight entrants. Meanwhile, Khaled Al-Hathlool demonstrated exceptional endurance in the multi-layered blind categories, capturing the 5x5x5 Blindfolded victory with a 20:10.00 single and winning 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by solving 6 out of 11 cubes in 57:40.

The shorter technical events brought intense drama, especially in Clock where Alkawthar Jaber Akbar edged out Otair by a hundredth of a second, posting a winning average of 8.58 to Otair's 8.59, with Alwazzan taking third in 9.56. Otair rebounded in Square-1, winning with a 24.50 average over Akbar's 25.43 and Alolaimi's 26.75. Across the entire program, host nation Kuwait led the podium count with 15 top-three finishes, followed by Jordan with 11, Saudi Arabia with six, and Italy with five.

By the time the final scores were entered, Kuwait Side Events 2024 had highlighted both elite talent and widespread personal progress. The event proved that specialized disciplines flourish when local organizers create an efficient, supportive environment for speed cubing. With Rubik's Cube variations of all shapes and sizes tested to the limit, the volunteers and organizers provided a high-caliber stage that sets a strong foundation for the region's upcoming competitive season.