Saudi Arabia’s AlUla to Host World Endurance Championship 2026

The event will be held in the AlUla Governorate under the supervision of the Saudi Equestrian Federation and the Royal Commission for AlUla. SPA
The event will be held in the AlUla Governorate under the supervision of the Saudi Equestrian Federation and the Royal Commission for AlUla. SPA
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Saudi Arabia’s AlUla to Host World Endurance Championship 2026

The event will be held in the AlUla Governorate under the supervision of the Saudi Equestrian Federation and the Royal Commission for AlUla. SPA
The event will be held in the AlUla Governorate under the supervision of the Saudi Equestrian Federation and the Royal Commission for AlUla. SPA

The World Endurance Championship 2026 will be hosted by Saudi Arabia, according to an announcement made by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (Fédération Equestre Internationale 'FEI') on Sunday.

The Kingdom submitted its hosting bid in September, and the event will be held in the AlUla Governorate under the supervision of the Saudi Equestrian Federation and the Royal Commission for AlUla.

The International Equestrian Federation and the members of the General Assembly praised the federation for its efforts. The Kingdom's hosting of the World Endurance Championship is yet another success for Saudi equestrianism, which has previously hosted major events.

The Horseback Archery World Cup will be held in AlUla Governorate in December, while the World Cup for Show Jumping and Dressage will be hosted in Riyadh in April 2024.



Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony: Saudi Team Highlights Cultural Heritage

Saudi athletes wave their country’s flag during the opening parade. (Saudi Olympic Committee)
Saudi athletes wave their country’s flag during the opening parade. (Saudi Olympic Committee)
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Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony: Saudi Team Highlights Cultural Heritage

Saudi athletes wave their country’s flag during the opening parade. (Saudi Olympic Committee)
Saudi athletes wave their country’s flag during the opening parade. (Saudi Olympic Committee)

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and his deputy, Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz, attended the opening ceremony of the 33rd Olympic Games in Paris.

Held outside the traditional stadiums for the first time in history, the ceremony featured a parade of the 206 participating countries on 100 boats traveling approximately 6 kilometers along the Seine River.

The Saudi show jumping team player, Ramzy Al-Duhami, and his colleague, the Saudi Taekwondo champion Dunya Aboutaleb, raised the Saudi flag at the opening of the world’s largest sporting event.

Al-Duhami expressed his pride in raising the Kingdom’s flag alongside his teammate, noting that it was a dream for any Saudi citizen. He wished success for the Saudi athletes in representing Saudi sports with distinction.

Aboutaleb, in turn, said he was honored to carry the Kingdom’s flag at the Olympic Games, stating: “I aspire to perform at a level that reflects the support and attention given to sports in the Kingdom.”

The Saudi athletes’ uniform was admired by the international media and the audience, who applauded the players the moment their boat appeared on the Seine River.

The designs for the opening ceremony were chosen through a national competition organized by the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, with the participation of designers from across the Kingdom.

Out of 128 competing designers, the chosen uniform by Saudi designer Alia Al-Salmi featured traditional men’s thobes and bishts and brightly patterned thobe al-nashal for women, symbolizing the athletes’ pride in their homeland and cultural roots.

Mashael Al-Ayed, 17, will be the first Saudi athlete to compete, taking to the pool for the 200 meters freestyle swimming event on July 28. Al-Ayed is the first female swimmer to represent Saudi Arabia at the Olympics.