The 3rd GCC Math Olympiad 2014 kicked off here, Sunday, organized by the Ministry of Education under the oversight of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS). The competition was inaugurated by Minister of Education Madiha bint Ahmad bin Nasir Al-Shaibaniyah and each of the GCC member states is represented by a group of six students. The competitions cover several fields including algebra, geometry, and arithmetic. The aim of the olympiads is to encourage interaction among students strong in mathematics, and to help prepare for GCC participation in international competitions. It is also hoped to discover and hone abilities among the participating students to help guide development of mathematics and related curricula in the GCC. The competition is an annual event, hosted in rotation by the member states of the GCC