RIYADH: Events from the World Nomad Games — ranging from archery to wrestling — will be staged in Saudi Arabia as part of the King Abdul Aziz Camel Festival.
The events, which showcase the eye-catching skills of Central Asia’s hunters, horsemen and fighters, will be featured over 10 days from March 9-19 as the mountainous Asian region shares its colorful culture and sporting heritage with the Kingdom.
A relative newcomer on the international sports scene, the first Nomad Games were held in 2014 in Cholpon-Ata in Kyrgyzstan, with 580 athletes from 19 countries competing in a variety of sports, plus an additional 1,200 people taking part in a cultural program.
The games are dedicated to preserving traditional nomadic culture, and have since expanded to become Central Asia’s biggest sporting event, including 3,000 athletes from more than 70 countries.
Competition takes place every two years, with the next event scheduled for 2020 as the games move from Kyrgyzstan to Turkey.
Described as “the Olympics for nomads,” the games’ 16 events demand strength, intelligence and agility, and include kok boru, a form of polo, with a history stretching back 6,000 years.
Bandar Al-Rashid, head of media and communications at the King Abdul Aziz Camel Festival, said the Nomad Games will be included in a cultural village at the event.
“The World Nomad Games will take part in the cultural event of the festival with participants from over 75 countries and events such as horseback riding, archery, wrestling and more,” he said.
Nomad Games’ skills on show at camel festival in Saudi Arabia
Nomad Games’ skills on show at camel festival in Saudi Arabia
- The games are dedicated to preserving traditional nomadic culture, and have since expanded to become Central Asia’s biggest sporting event
- A relative newcomer on the international sports scene, the first Nomad Games were held in 2014 in Cholpon-Ata in Kyrgyzstan
Jeddah students get closer look at electric motorsport
- A PIF-linked initiative highlights technical and engineering careers behind electric racing events
JEDDAH: Students from local and international schools in Jeddah were introduced to STEM-related career pathways in electric motorsport this week, as part of an education program linked to the UIM E1 World Championship held on the Red Sea.
The sessions formed part of Driving Force Presented by the Public Investment Fund, an initiative run by Formula E and its electric racing series partners, to familiarize students aged eight to 18 with science, technology, engineering and mathematics through electric racing and sustainability-focused industries.
The programme took place alongside the 2026 E1 Jeddah GP and included workshops, school visits and trackside access designed to show how engineering, data, broadcast technology and event operations function within professional motorsport.
According to organisers, the initiative reached more than 60,000 students globally in 2025, with further expansion planned this year.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The program took place alongside the 2026 E1 Jeddah GP and included workshops, school visits and trackside access.
• Students learned about E1 races and their technical and environmental dimensions and discussed the engineering and marine aspects of electric boats.
• According to organisers, the initiative reached more than 60,000 students globally in 2025, with further expansion planned this year.
John Williams, managing director at E1, told Arab News: “The PIF is absolutely vital to everything we do here at the E1. They were crucial initial investment partner since the start of the championship and they continue to support us in a number of ways and more specifically around the Driving Force program.”
Elaborating more on the program, he said: “What we are doing is presenting and showing these students the available careers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as careers in sports, not only pilots but also engineers and mechanics.”
Williams added that the main key to the program was bringing a new generation to the mechanism of sport.
“We are introducing to these exciting new technologies around the race but it could be our technology on the boat or our broadcast products, as well as how to manage the event its self. There are a range of opportunities to show it to the children in addition to enjoying the excitement of the race and meeting the pilots.”
The program’s Jeddah activities began at King Abdulaziz University’s faculty of maritime studies, where students took part in a hands-on workshop focused on STEM careers in the motorsport and sustainability areas conducted by technology experts and famous water pilots such as Dani Clos, Emma Kimilainen and Patricia Pita.
Students learned about E1 races and their technical and environmental dimensions and discussed the engineering and marine aspects of electric boats.
They also enjoyed exclusive behind-the-scenes access at the E1 Jeddah GP, pilot meet-and-greets, and front-row seats to watch the RaceBird boats in action.
