Jeddah Gears Up for 2023 FIFA Club World Cup Enthusiasts

Screens under the slogan "Welcome, Fans!" have emerged to greet football enthusiasts supporting the participating clubs. SPA
Screens under the slogan "Welcome, Fans!" have emerged to greet football enthusiasts supporting the participating clubs. SPA
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Jeddah Gears Up for 2023 FIFA Club World Cup Enthusiasts

Screens under the slogan "Welcome, Fans!" have emerged to greet football enthusiasts supporting the participating clubs. SPA
Screens under the slogan "Welcome, Fans!" have emerged to greet football enthusiasts supporting the participating clubs. SPA

Jeddah governorate is gearing up to host the FIFA Club World Cup 2023, organized by Saudi Arabia, set from December 12 to 22 at King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal City stadiums.

Across different regions and governorates of the Kingdom, vibrant displays and screens under the slogan "Welcome, Fans!" have emerged to greet football enthusiasts supporting the participating clubs.

The clubs—Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia), Al Ahly (Egypt), Manchester City (England), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Leon (Mexico), Fluminense (Brazil), and Auckland City (New Zealand)—are all geared up for the tournament.

The organizing committee's second promotional campaign is ongoing until December 9 at Jeddah Corniche, aiming to offer football fans and families the chance to capture photos with the championship's original trophy, previously hoisted by football legends worldwide.

The campaign boasts diverse entertainment, musical performances, face-painting activities for kids, and events catering to various age groups.



‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
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‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)

The Paris Olympics look likely to get off to a soggy start.

Meteo-France, the French weather service, is predicting “flooding rains” Friday evening when the opening ceremony is set to unroll along the Seine River. But the show is set to go on as planned, starting at 1:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CEST and should last more than three hours.

Already in the late afternoon, skies were gray with intermittent drizzle. There was a silver lining, though, with temperatures expected to stay relatively warm throughout the evening.

Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). Though 10,700 athletes are expected to compete at these Olympics, hundreds of soccer players are based outside Paris, surfers are in Tahiti and many have yet to arrive for their events in the second week, organizers said Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including 320,000 paying and invited ticket-holders, are expected to line the Seine’s banks as athletes are paraded along the river on boats.