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Saudi Arabia launches campaign bid to host 2030 Asian Games in Riyadh

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The first Saudi Olympic medalist Hadi Soaan, alongside Dalma Malhas — the first Saudi woman to compete in the Olympics — and children practicing the Olympic Games in Saudi Arabia attended the ceremony. (Twitter/@RiyadhAG2030)
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The logo represents Riyadh 2030’s goals of inspiring new dreams, reaching new horizons and setting new standards for what it means to host the Asian Games.
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Updated 06 October 2020
Arab News
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Saudi Arabia launches campaign bid to host 2030 Asian Games in Riyadh

  • Social media accounts active under the name RiyadhAG2030
Updated 06 October 2020
Arab News

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s sports minister on Sunday launched the Kingdom’s official campaign to help secure enough votes from members of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to host the 21st Asian Games in 2030.
Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, who is also chairman of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC), formally submitted the country’s application bid to the governing body, nominating Riyadh to stage the event.
Officials are due to decide on which city will host the games (known as the Asiad) when they meet for their 39th OCA General Assembly in Muscat, Oman on Dec. 16. The other city still in contention is the Qatari capital Doha.

The prince said: “Hosting the 2030 Asian Games is a great honor and an opportunity to inspire a new generation of athletes across the Asian continent and reach the largest audience in the Kingdom’s sports hosting history.
“We are excited (at the chance) to host the first-ever Asian Games (in Saudi Arabia), in light of the support of the government of King Salman and the crown prince.”
He added that the Kingdom had recently hosted a number of high-profile international sporting events and that securing the Asiad would provide a golden opportunity to advance long-term sports, societal, and cultural changes for the nation.

The minister had been speaking at a ceremony also attended by Princess Reema bint Bandar, who is a member of the board of directors of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Kingdom’s ambassador to the US, and other Saudi sports officials and athletes.
If Riyadh were to win its hosting bid, Prince Abdul Aziz said: “We promise to organize a successful tournament by all standards, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.”
Princess Reema said that Riyadh 2030 would be a vibrant and diverse event in a unique atmosphere, using pre-existing sporting venues along with purpose-built facilities, pointing out that it would “create a platform to highlight the power of the Olympic Games throughout the yellow continent (Asia), and consolidate its values.”

She added: “​By working with the OCA, Riyadh 2030 would provide a legacy of diversity and participation across the nation, which would have a major impact in the coming decades.”
Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahad, honorary member of the IOC and former president of SAOC, said that raising the level of female participation in sports was a key goal of the Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan under its quality of life program.

He noted that the aim was to increase women’s involvement in sporting activities by 40 percent, in line with the Kingdom’s efforts to promote and support its elite athletes in becoming top medal winners in international competitions.
Meanwhile, Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdul Aziz, vice president of the SAOC, said that if the Saudi capital were named to host the Asiad, the main stadium would be located in Qiddiya along with a water sports center and cricket ground.

“We are committed to supporting Olympic values ​​and a shift toward more sustainable and socially responsible games,” he added.
Saudi runner Hadi Sawan, who won the first Saudi Olympic medal in 2000, said that the Kingdom’s dream was to host the 2030 Asian Games.

And Saudi equestrian, Dalma Malhas, who won the bronze medal at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, said that staging the sports festival at amazing and modern venues in Riyadh would provide a platform to meet the needs of the continent’s best athletes and allow them to shine.

The bid file submitted by Prince Abdul Aziz to the OCA included world-class venues and facilities connected to the latest environmentally friendly transportation systems.
It said the impact of the games would inspire the Asian Olympic movement throughout the continent by spreading sporting values and enhancing communication, not only in sport but socially and culturally too, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
To mark the Saudi campaign launch, the Riyadh 2030 hosting committee released its official social media accounts under the name RiyadhAG2030.

 

Topics: Saudi Arabia 2030 Asian Games Dalma Malhas #RiyadhAG2030 Riyadh 2030 Hadi Sawan Olympics Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdul Aziz Qiddiya Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahad Princess Reema bint Bandar International Olympic Committee (IOC) Asiad Riyadh Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) 21st Asian Games Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC)

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Threat to Kingdom’s security is ‘red line’ that will be ‘addressed and neutralized,’ Saudi envoy says

Updated 4 sec ago
Arab News
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Threat to Kingdom’s security is ‘red line’ that will be ‘addressed and neutralized,’ Saudi envoy says

  • Abdulaziz Alwasil tells UN Security Council the situation in southern Yemen is ‘a just cause with social and historic dimensions’ that can only be resolved through dialogue
  • Recent military activity in the south was unilateral, resulting in an escalation that harms the interests of Yemeni people and undermines efforts to address issues in the south, he said
Updated 4 sec ago
Arab News

NEW YORK CITY: Any attempt to threaten Saudi Arabia’s national security is a “red line” and will be met with decisive action, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the UN told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Speaking during a meeting of the council to discuss Yemen, Abdulaziz Alwasil said the situation in the south of the country is “a just cause with social and historic dimensions” that can only be resolved through dialogue.

“We stress that any attempt to threaten our national security is a red line, and we will not hesitate to take the necessary actions and steps to address it and neutralize it,” he added.

Alwasil reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemeni President Rashad Al-Alimi, the Presidential Leadership Council, and the Yemeni government in their efforts to achieve security, stability, development and peace while preserving national unity.

He said military activity by Southern Transitional Council forces in Hadramout and Al-Mahra on Dec. 2, 2025, was unilateral, did not have the approval of the Presidential Leadership Council, and was not carried out in coordination with the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.

It had resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people, undermined efforts to address the issues in the south, and ran counter to the coalition’s objectives, Alwasil added.

The Kingdom, working with its coalition partners, the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government, had moved to contain the situation by dispatching a military force to coordinate arrangements with the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, he said.

The aim was to ensure the return of the southern council’s forces to their previous positions outside of Hadramout and Al-Mahra, and the handover of camps to legitimate government forces and local authorities in line with agreed procedures, Alwasil added.

He expressed regret over the military operations that took place in Hadramout and Al-Mahra, close to Saudi Arabia’s southern border, which he said posed a direct threat to the Kingdom’s national security, as well as the security of Yemen and regional stability. Such steps were extremely dangerous, he added, and contradicted the principles on which the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen had been founded.

Alwasil welcomed a prisoner and detainee exchange agreement signed in Muscat on Dec. 23, which he described as an important humanitarian measure to alleviate suffering and build confidence.

He praised Oman for hosting and sponsoring the consultations and supporting negotiations, and commended the efforts of UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, the International Committee of the Red Cross and all others that has played a part.

Regarding the political efforts to resolve the crisis, Alwasil said Saudi Arabia welcomed President Al-Alimi’s call for an inclusive conference in Riyadh to bring together all stakeholders to discuss just solutions to the situation in southern Yemen.

Preparations for the conference have begun, he added, in cooperation with the Yemeni government and southern representatives, reflecting the close ties between the two countries and their shared interests in stabilizing Yemen.

He urged all southern stakeholders to participate actively and constructively in the talks, to help find comprehensive and just solutions that meet the legitimate aspirations of the people of southern Yemen.

Alwasil called on all Yemeni forces and stakeholders to cooperate and intensify their efforts to reach a lasting political settlement that would ensure security and stability.

He described the southern issue as “a just cause with social and historic dimensions,” adding that “the only way to address it is through dialogue that leads to a comprehensive political solution” based on nationally and internationally agreed terms of reference.

Topics: Yemen UN Security Council (UNSC) Abdulaziz Alwasil

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