Kuwaiti Nationals 2025

Seventeen events packed the schedule at Kuwait Science Club as 70 competitors converged on Kuwait, Kuwait from October 3 to October 4. While the classic Rubik's Cube drew a massive field, the weekend stood out for its deep roster of specialized disciplines. From large cubes and shape modifications to blindfolded solving, the competition celebrated the breadth of modern speedcubing over two demanding days. Across twenty total rounds, multi-event stalwarts took center stage, testing their skills on unconventional puzzles alongside traditional speed events in the 2025 calendar.

The niche disciplines provided some of the most commanding performances of Kuwaiti Nationals 2025, led by France's Clément Cherblanc. Cherblanc swept the specialized categories, starting with an efficient 32.00 mean to win 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, where his best single attempt was 28 moves. He followed that up with a decisive victory in Square-1, averaging 11.66 seconds, while Alkawthar Jaber Akbar claimed second in 23.32 and Ahmad Alolaimi secured third in 26.07. Cherblanc extended his range to the dodecahedral Megaminx, taking first place with a 53.95 average ahead of a 21-competitor field.

Cherblanc's dominance across alternative hardware carried straight into the big cubes. He won the 6x6x6 Cube with a 2:01.27 mean, and finished the 7x7x7 Cube in 2:57.38 to complete an impressive sweep of the complex puzzles. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Cherblanc logged a winning 1:12.49 average to lead a podium featuring Japan's Koutaro Maeda in second at 1:27.51 and Kuwait's Hussain Merza in third at 1:36.34. Cherblanc also added the 4x4x4 Cube crown with a 32.03 average, besting Maeda's 40.31 and Akbar's 45.86.

Blindfolded solvers faced intense memory challenges in their specialized corner of the venue. Switzerland's Adamo Sabbadin put on a masterclass in concentration, winning 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by successfully solving 10 out of 12 cubes in 52:25. Sabbadin also topped the podium in 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a single of 15:45.00, and captured the standard 3x3x3 Blindfolded title with a rapid 37.43 single. Kuwait's Mohammad Almoumen placed second in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 2:05.29, followed by Merza in 2:31.02. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Song Jenden took the top spot in a difficult round where no competitor registered a complete success.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several participants made substantial progress across a wide variety of puzzles. Deema Mahmoud Alshammari took on 10 events, cutting her 5x5x5 Cube personal best down to 2:12.74, a 37.7 percent improvement over her previous 3:33.04 mark, in addition to logging her first attempts in 6x6x6 Cube at 5:17.98 and 7x7x7 Cube at 8:03.99. Eissa Khaled Alghazali improved his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 49.1 percent with a 1:45.11 result and posted his first 3x3x3 Cube attempt in 24.02. Mohammad Meshal Almutawa tackled 13 events, including his first official tries at Clock with 38.20 and 5x5x5 Cube with 2:34.15, on his way to a 5th-place finish in 6x6x6 Cube. Zaben Aljebreen contested 7 events, setting marks in his first attempts at Skewb in 8.37 and 5x5x5 Cube in 1:47.90.

First-time participants and expanding repertoires added depth to the roster throughout the weekend. Mohammed Fahad made his official cubing competition debut across 6 events, recording first-time results of 15.15 in Skewb and 4:39.52 in Megaminx. Mahdi Alhaddad also competed in his very first WCA competition, recording his first marks in 2x2x2 Cube with 11.29 and 3x3x3 One-Handed with 57.03 across 5 events. Yousef Abdulaziz Alsaqer made his debut appearance across 5 disciplines, clocking 10.42 in his first Skewb attempt and 17.69 in Pyraminx. Meanwhile, Saqer Abdulaziz Alsaqer explored 7 events, registering his first official attempts in Clock at 30.99 and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 52.39.

The shorter events brought fast-paced action and close podium battles. In Clock, Alkawthar Jaber Akbar secured the win with an 8.00 average, backed by a quick 5.82 single. Pyraminx saw Ghanim Abdulaziz Almutawa take first place with a 4.85 average, edging out Cherblanc's 5.17 and Akbar's 6.47. In Skewb, Abdulrahman Alali topped the standings with a 5.08 average over 36 competitors. Abdulmohsen Almunayes claimed the 2x2x2 Cube title in 2.91 seconds, leading Akbar and Maeda who tied in podium standings with matching 3.81 averages. The 3x3x3 One-Handed event went to Ahmad Alolaimi with a 16.02 average, prevailing over Maeda at 19.85 and Cherblanc at 20.18.

The 3x3 results formed the centerpiece of the final afternoon as 69 solvers navigated three rounds of competition. Ahmad Alolaimi delivered three consistent rounds to earn the main title at Kuwaiti Nationals 2025, concluding the tournament with a 9.03 final average and a best single of 7.70 seconds. The performance capped two days of high-level speed cubing across all 17 disciplines. Competitors from Kuwait collected 30 podium finishes overall, leading a field that saw France take 11, Japan 6, Switzerland 4, and Malaysia 3, closing out a memorable weekend at Kuwait Science Club.