Saudi women lead the way as cycling breaks down barriers

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The race series was organized by the SFA with the Saudi Cycling Federation’s support to encourage women to take part in sports and adopt healthier lifestyles. (Photo/Supplied)
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The race series was organized by the SFA with the Saudi Cycling Federation’s support to encourage women to take part in sports and adopt healthier lifestyles. (Photo/Supplied)
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The race series was organized by the SFA with the Saudi Cycling Federation’s support to encourage women to take part in sports and adopt healthier lifestyles. (Photo/Supplied)
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The race series was organized by the SFA with the Saudi Cycling Federation’s support to encourage women to take part in sports and adopt healthier lifestyles. (Photo/Supplied)
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The race series was organized by the SFA with the Saudi Cycling Federation’s support to encourage women to take part in sports and adopt healthier lifestyles. (Photo/Supplied)
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The race series was organized by the SFA with the Saudi Cycling Federation’s support to encourage women to take part in sports and adopt healthier lifestyles. (Photo/Supplied)
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Updated 09 January 2020
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Saudi women lead the way as cycling breaks down barriers

  • All-women series draws 1,000 competitors to races in Jeddah, Riyadh and Alkhobar

JEDDAH: Cycling is one of Saudi Arabia’s fastest-growing sports — and it’s the Kingdom’s women who are leading the way.

More than 1,000 women recently took part in the country’s first major women’s cycling event, a three-race series held in Jeddah, Riyadh and Alkhobar.

The turnout for the competition drew praise from the Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA), which organized the event, with Shaima Saleh Al-Husseini, SFA managing director, describing the series as “truly a historic occurrence for health and wellness in Saudi Arabia.”

In the final race of the series, held at the Corniche in Alkhobar, Nadia Skoukdi claimed first place, followed by Floria Martias and Nasima Siddikui.

More than 800 women took part in the first race, held at Princess Nourah University in Riyadh, where Skoukdi and Martias were joined by Ahlam Al-Zaid on the finalists’ podium.

Jeddah’s race welcomed more than 200 women to Al-Joharah Stadium, with Martias placing first, and Arwa Al-Amoudi and Samar Rahbeini as runners-up.

Cycling as a sport is growing in popularity across the Kingdom, according to the SFA, which says that about 1.1 percent of the population cycles on a weekly basis. At least 30 percent of cyclists are women, the federation believes.

The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan hopes to boost weekly levels of physical activity to 40 percent in the next decade.

Al-Husseini said that the SFA considers physical activity its “mandate,” which translates to more public competitions and events such as the women’s cycling series.

“We will continue to stage activities under the Quality of Life program, and work hard toward our goal to get people involved in sports and activities of all types,” she added.


Jeddah Fit Expo 2026 offers inspiration, innovation

Updated 29 January 2026
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Jeddah Fit Expo 2026 offers inspiration, innovation

  • Sports, fitness, wellness in spotlight at Jeddah Superdome
  • Gyms and fitness brands offer visitors a wide range of interactive experiences

JEDDAH: Jeddah Superdome welcomed more than 1,000 athletes of all ages on Wednesday for a heart-pounding session which placed sports, fitness and wellness in the spotlight.

The Jeddah Fit Expo 2026 is taking place until Jan. 31 and visitors on the first day were treated to a heady environment filled with high-intensity energy and in which cutting-edge fitness trends met the inspirational spirit of sportsmanship.

More than 300 brands and over 200 exhibitors engaged in in-depth exchanges and interactions according to organizers, while jointly forging an event for the global sports and fitness industry.

Mohammed Al-Aidarous, from the event’s organizing committee, told Arab News the expo aimed to spread the culture of fitness as a daily lifestyle and sought to encourage best international expertise and practices, while empowering and developing local sports talents.

He said: “The sports and fitness industry is a rapidly growing sector globally. Especially in Saudi Arabia, there is an increasing focus on health and fitness among the general public. Consequently there is a growing demand for fitness-related products and services.”

The exhibition, which is in its fourth edition, has brought together suppliers of fitness equipment and sports and leisure products, along with representatives from nutrition and health sectors, wellness clinics, youth sports education, and artificial intelligence solution providers.

Many of the participants are introducing new products to meet changing market trends, leveraging the national fitness policies, deeply exploring market demand, and expanding their presence in the sports industry market, thereby providing users with more professional services.

Gyms and fitness brands at the event are offering visitors a wide range of interactive, educational and commercial opportunities designed to promote healthy lifestyles while showcasing the latest industry innovations.

Danya Aljamal, an event coordinator at GymNation, said: “We are here to show sports enthusiasts who we are and what we can do to make them change their lifestyle with sports. GymNation is about enjoying your time, having fun, challenging yourself and making the best form of your body.”

She added: “We will be offering visitors our famous Hyrox class. It is designed to help enhance your strength and explosive power through a combination of targeted, high-intensity exercises and I hope people enjoy it.”

AI is rapidly reshaping athletic training environments. The exhibition features platforms that analyze an athlete’s movement, track progress, and offer automated corrections.

Saudi entrepreneur Mohammed Kaki, founder and CEO of FitLife, an Al-powered health-tech startup delivering B2B personalized nutrition and wellness plans, said: “We are proud to share the FitLife platform and feel excited to take these insights and relationships to the next level during this three-day event.

“FitLife is an app developed to make people’s fitness journey much easier and more convenient. Our algorithms were developed to produce accurate programs with a full range of workouts and recipes designed to fit people’s daily schedule and preferences.

“Our objective at FitLife is to foster growth and revolutionize the way people perceive health and fitness.”

Kaki indicated that the startup was also aiming to support coaches and specialists in sports and health organizations through AI solutions.

Beyond the exhibition stands and workshops, bodybuilding, calisthenics, taekwondo and volleyball are among the activities taking place at Jeddah Superdome.