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Ahmed Mohamed is to move to Qatar - a day after meeting Barack Obama at the White House

The teenager has said he wants to study to become a scientist

Andrew Buncombe
New York
Tuesday 20 October 2015 18:35 EDT
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Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for taking his homemade clock to school in Texas
Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for taking his homemade clock to school in Texas (Youtube)

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Ahmed Mohamed, the teenager who was detained by police after taking a homemade clock to school, and whose journey has led him from the offices of Google and the White House, is to move to Qatar.

A day after he met President Barack Obama, the boy's family issued a statement to say it was taking up an offer from the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

“After careful consideration of all the generous offers received, we would like to announce that we have accepted a kind offer from Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) for Ahmed to join the prestigious QF Young Innovators Programme, which reflects the organisation’s on-going dedication to empowering young people and fostering a culture of innovation and creativity,” the family said.

Ahmed Mohamed meets Obama at the White House
Ahmed Mohamed meets Obama at the White House (Getty)

Anthony Bond, a close family friend and the founder of the Irving, Texas, chapter of the NAACP told the Washington Post the family had made the decision to leave the US within the past 24 hours.

The teenager made headlines last month when he was detained by officers after taking a clock to his school in Irving, Texas. The youngster and his father claimed he had been the victim of Islamophobia.

Mr Obama invited the teenager to visit the White House, an invitation he took up on Monday evening when he was among 300 people to take part in so-called Astronomy Night.

The statement said the teenager’s parents and two sisters will relocate too.

“I loved the city of Doha because it’s so modern,” Ahmed said.

“I saw so many amazing schools there, many of them campuses of famous American universities. The teachers were great. I think I will learn a lot and have fun too.”

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