Saudi Games medalists awarded

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Vice President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Director of the Saudi Games Prince Fahad bin Jalawi has crowned the champions of the chess competitions. (Supplied)
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The award ceremony was held at Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex Swimming Hall in the presence of Dr. Abdullah Al-Wahshy, president of the Saudi Chess Federation. (Supplied)
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Updated 09 December 2023
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Saudi Games medalists awarded

  • Athletes from across the Kingdom clinched medals in chess, rowing and judo at the Saudi Games
  • The award ceremony was held at Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex Swimming Hall

RIYADH: Vice President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Director of the Saudi Games Prince Fahad bin Jalawi has crowned the champions of the chess competitions.
The award ceremony was held at Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex Swimming Hall in the presence of Dr. Abdullah Al-Wahshy, president of the Saudi Chess Federation.
In the men’s classic category, Ahmed Al-Rehaili secured the gold, Mohammed Salahat claimed the silver medal and Ahmed Al-Thebaiti clinched the bronze. In the women’s classic category, Dalia Al-Semairi earned the gold, followed by Hala Shahein with silver and Asma Al-Jabri with bronze.
Prince Fahad also awarded the winners of the judo competitions held yesterday at King Saud University’s Multipurpose Hall, in the presence of Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Bassam, president of the Saudi Judo Federation, and Matthew Favier, CEO of the Saudi Olympic Training Center.

Three gold medals for AlUla in judo
Men’s judo saw AlUla sweep the 60 kg podium yesterday, with club members Mohammed Firaq securing the gold medal, Mutaz Khawjah claiming silver, and Mohammed Falatah and Ali Menwayi clinching the bronze medals.
Abdullaziz Al-Bishi, representing AlUla, secured the gold medal in the men’s under 66 kg weight category, while Al-Qadisiyah’s Nader Hazazi took silver, and Al-Ittihad’s Abdullah Al-Barkati and Al-Ula’s Mounis Hawsawi shared the bronze.
In the men’s under 73 kg category, Abdullah Hammad from AlUla claimed gold. At the same time, Jawad Srdidi from Al-Shabab won silver, and Sulaiman Hamad from AlUla and Yassir Ayyad from Al-Ittihad earned bronze.
Additionally, Nayef Mazio from AlUla secured gold in the men’s over 90 kg weight category, with Rakan Zidan from Al-Tai winning silver, and Abdulkarim Al-Bishi from Al-Qadisiyah and Amjad Fallatah from Al-Qilwah claiming bronze.

Al-Qadisiyah cycling team clinches gold
Following yesterday’s events, Al-Qadisiyah cycling team was awarded the men’s team time trial gold with a race time of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds. The team consisted of Faisal Suleiman Al-Shaya, Ahmed Abdulaziz Al-Omrani, Youssef Bilal Bdadou and Badr Abdulaziz Al-Muhanna.
Al-Salam team secured a second-place finish with a time of two hours, four minutes and 23 seconds, followed by Al-Fateh in third place with a time of two hours, four minutes and 54 seconds.
The winners were awarded by Abdullah Al-Wathlan, president of the Saudi Cycling Federation, and Asmaa bint Jasser Al-Jasser, the federation’s vice president.

Indoor rowing culminates
Ali Hussein Reza, president of the Saudi Rowing Federation, awarded Hassan Qadri the gold medal in the men’s 2000-meter rowing competition held yesterday at the Mahd Academy in the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex.
In the men’s 2000-meter event, Hassan Qadri took the gold with a final time of six minutes, 15 seconds, Rakan Alireza secured silver with six minutes, 15 seconds, and nine millizeconds, and Daniel Rover clinched bronze with six minutes, 19 seconds.
In the women’s 2000-meter competition, Emma Merrick secured the gold medal with a final time of seven minutes, 23 seconds, Haya Al-Mamy earned silver with a time of seven minutes, 29 seconds, and Kariman Abuljadayel took bronze with a time of seven minutes, 33 seconds.
In the mixed team indoor rowing competition, Team One, represented by Paula Rodrigues, Alanood Al-Solahim, Khaled Al-Dawood and Abdulrahman Mahmoud, secured the gold medal with a time of five minutes, 45 seconds. Team Seven, represented by Bassim Al-Amer, Jude Al-Talhi, Muteb Burayk and Ghady Ahmed, secured silver with a final time of five minutes, 51 seconds.

Rugby Sevens concludes
The Saudi Wolves clinched the gold medal in the Rugby Sevens competition, which concluded yesterday at Al-Riyadh Club. The Riyadh Falcons earned the silver medal, while Jeddah RFC secured the bronze. Ali Al-Dajani, president of the Saudi Rugby Federation, awarded the winners.


E1 World Championship opens 2026 season in Jeddah with expanded field, growing global profile

Updated 20 January 2026
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E1 World Championship opens 2026 season in Jeddah with expanded field, growing global profile

  • Season’s opener features record 10 teams

JEDDAH: The 2026 UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF will launch its new season in Jeddah, with the Red Sea city once again hosting the world’s first all-electric raceboat series, and champions Team Brady beginning their title defense against an expanded and competitive field.

Set against Jeddah’s Red Sea coastline, the season-opening E1 Jeddah GP 2026, which takes place over Jan. 23-24, will feature a record 10 teams racing the cutting-edge E1 RaceBirds, underlining the rapid growth of the championship and its ambitions as a global competition spanning four continents.

Team Brady are the outfit to beat, having claimed the Champions of the Water title in 2024 and 2025. However, competition is expected to be fiercer than ever, with several teams strengthening their lineups ahead of the new campaign.

Team Monaco and Sierra Racing Club join the championship for 2026, adding further depth to the grid with a mix of experienced and emerging pilots. Team Rafa, who finished just 11 points behind Team Brady last season after a title fight that went down to the final laps, are widely regarded as one of the leading contenders and will be aiming to make an early statement in Jeddah.

Team AlUla Championed by LeBron James also return to race on home waters, one year on from their E1 debut. Carrying local pride, the team will be looking to build on last season’s momentum in front of Saudi fans.

The world-class field is further strengthened by a roster of high-profile, celebrity-backed teams, including Will Smith’s Team Westbrook, DJ Steve Aoki’s Team Aoki, Team Drogba, led by football legend Didier Drogba and his partner Gabrielle Lemaire, and Team Miami, featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Marc Anthony.

Fans will be able to get close to the action across qualifying and race day, with on-water viewing available from the E1 Fan Zone. The area will give visitors the chance to see the E1 RaceBirds up close and will feature a gaming arena with simulator and virtual reality experiences, as well as a VOX cinema screening of “Zootopia 2.” Merchandise outlets and a range of food and beverage options will also be available, creating a family-friendly race-day experience.

Beyond the racing, E1’s return to Saudi Arabia reflects the Kingdom’s growing role in shaping the future of electric sport and sustainable mobility. The championship serves as a living laboratory for electric propulsion systems, accelerating innovation that can influence marine transport while also supporting broader conversations around ocean protection.

As part of its partnership with E1, Formula E’s Driving Force Presented by PIF E360 is hosting its educational program in Jeddah this week. The initiative aims to inspire students aged 8 to 18 to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as sustainability, through the lens of electric racing.

The program reached more than 60,000 students globally in 2025 alone, with a further 50,000 targeted this year, taking its reach to over 100,000 young people worldwide.

On the sporting side, PIF’s commitment to excellence will again be recognized through the PIF Pilot of the Day award, presented after finals day to honor standout skill and performance over the race weekend.

Alejandro Agag, founder and chairman of E1, said: “Starting our 2026 season in Jeddah is a powerful statement for E1. The region represents ambition, innovation and a clear vision for the future, and the Red Sea provides the perfect environment as our largest grid yet of 10 teams begin their battle to be crowned 2026 Champions of the Water.”

The Jeddah race is set to deliver high-intensity competition, renewed rivalries and an early glimpse into the future of high-performance racing on water.