Background/purpose: This research aimed at designing an educational program based on gamification for teaching mathematics as required by the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to determine its impact on advancing strategic competence among fourth-grade male students in the first semester of Academic Year 1445AH in elementary schools in Arar City. The experimental method was utilized in the current research and based on two equivalent control group designs. Materials/methods: This research utilized the experimental approach to determine the effect of the educational program on advancing strategic competence among fourth-grade students. This approach is based on the design of two equal groups (pre-measurement, application of the experiment, post-measurement) for the experimental and control groups. The study's purposive sample was selected using a simple random method, in which 61 male students were divided into two groups: control and experimental groups, which comprised 30 and 31 students. Results: Research findings led to the design of an electronic educational program predicated on gamification to teach mathematics based on the requirements of TIMSS for fourth-grade male students of elementary schools and the preparation of a teacher's guide for the program. Moreover, findings show statistical differences at the 0.01 level between the rank averages of students' grades in the experimental and control groups in favor of the experimental group in the strategic competence test. Conclusion: On the bases of the results, a gamification strategy was recommended for teaching mathematics to fourth-grade male students, thereby promoting teachers' awareness of the significance of problem-solving lessons in mathematics courses and benefiting from the teacher's guide in developing the strategic competence of fourth-grade students.