Ahmed Mohamed, the kid arrested for bringing a homemade clock that authorities thought looked like a bomb to his school in Texas, is finishing up a whirlwind tour that ended with the chance to meet President Obama at the White House on Monday night. On Tuesday, however, the 14-year-old’s family announced that they would be leaving the U.S. next week — with no intention of returning in the near future. “After careful consideration of all the generous offers received,” the Mohamed family announced in a press release, “we would like to announce that we have accepted a kind offer from Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development for Ahmed to join the prestigious QF Young Innovators Program.”
Ahmed’s sister told the Dallas Morning News, “Looking at all the great offers we’ve had, it’s the best decision. They even have Texas A&M at Qatar … It’s basically like America.” She added to the Washington Post, “Qatar is in the Arab world, but it also feels like Texas. It’s like Texas in Qatar.”
The press release also featured a comment from Ahmed, who received shout-outs from several big tech companies and universities in the U.S. after his story went viral. “I loved the city of Doha because it’s so modern,” he 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.”
