Riyadh Will be a Stop for Global Champions Arabians Tour 2024

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Riyadh Will be a Stop for Global Champions Arabians Tour 2024

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Riyadh is set to host one of the legs of the Global Champions Arabians Tour (GCAT) in 2024, joining a series of events held across various countries throughout the season. Previously, Doha hosted the event, and upcoming stops on the tour include Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Cannes in France, Valkenswaard in the Netherlands, Rome, and Paris, SPA reported.

The Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation (SAEF) will be the host in the capital, Riyadh.
Prince Abdullah bin Fahd bin Abdullah, President of the Saudi Equestrian Federation, expressed gratitude to the leadership for their substantial support of equestrianism in the Kingdom.

He emphasized how the leadership's unwavering support has positioned Saudi Arabia as a global hub for equestrian sports. Prince Abdullah highlighted that the Kingdom's well-organized and diverse events align with a clear vision, aiming to establish the country as the world's premier destination. He conveyed his appreciation to Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the Minister of Sport, for his continuous support and close involvement in the sector.



‘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.