Saudi Crown Prince : 2034 World Cup Bid Reflects Kingdom’s Progress

Part of the exhibition accompanying the press conference held in Riyadh for the presentation of the Saudi bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup (Photo: Saleh Al-Ghannam)
Part of the exhibition accompanying the press conference held in Riyadh for the presentation of the Saudi bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup (Photo: Saleh Al-Ghannam)
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Saudi Crown Prince : 2034 World Cup Bid Reflects Kingdom’s Progress

Part of the exhibition accompanying the press conference held in Riyadh for the presentation of the Saudi bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup (Photo: Saleh Al-Ghannam)
Part of the exhibition accompanying the press conference held in Riyadh for the presentation of the Saudi bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup (Photo: Saleh Al-Ghannam)

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also Saudi Arabia’s Prime Minister, announced the Kingdom’s bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. He said this bid reflects Saudi Arabia’s transformation and progress as part of the national transformation plan, Vision 2030.
The Crown Prince stated that the bid focuses on developing human skills, advancing football, and building global connections.
He pointed out that hosting the World Cup would be a major milestone in Saudi Arabia’s sports sector, which has seen significant growth and success recently. This event would highlight the Kingdom’s role as a global center for major sports events.
The Crown Prince also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s growing appeal as a tourist destination, noting that it topped the United Nations’ list for the highest growth in international tourist numbers in 2023.
Riyadh, the capital, has been chosen to host the World Expo 2030. Moreover, the country welcomed over 100 million tourists last year.
The Crown Prince added that the bid’s slogan, titled “Growing. Together,” reflects Saudi Arabia’s ongoing development in football.



Biles Seeks Second Gold Medal of Paris Games in All-Around Final 

Simone Biles of the USA performs on the Balance Beam during the Women Team final of the Artistic Gymnastics competitions in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France, 30 July August 2024. (EPA)
Simone Biles of the USA performs on the Balance Beam during the Women Team final of the Artistic Gymnastics competitions in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France, 30 July August 2024. (EPA)
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Biles Seeks Second Gold Medal of Paris Games in All-Around Final 

Simone Biles of the USA performs on the Balance Beam during the Women Team final of the Artistic Gymnastics competitions in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France, 30 July August 2024. (EPA)
Simone Biles of the USA performs on the Balance Beam during the Women Team final of the Artistic Gymnastics competitions in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France, 30 July August 2024. (EPA)

Simone Biles will be chasing a sixth Olympic gold medal and her second of the Paris Olympics when she competes in the women's gymnastics all-around final on Thursday in what she has called her "redemption tour" after her withdrawal from the Tokyo Games.

Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all-time, made her much-anticipated return to the Olympic stage on Sunday when she topped the all-around qualifying standings by a solid margin and also finished as the leading contender for the floor exercise and vault finals.

Following her success at the 2016 Rio Games, Biles is favorite to win a second Olympic gold in the all-around.

Three years ago she withdrew from the event in Tokyo to prioritize her mental health after suffering from the "twisties", a condition involving the temporary loss of spatial awareness that some gymnasts can experience when executing high-difficulty elements.

In Biles' absence, her teammate Sunisa Lee took the gold in Tokyo. Lee, who finished third in qualifications behind Biles and Brazil's Rebeca Andrade, will see her fellow American as the biggest obstacle in her gold medal defense.

Biles led the United States to their fourth gold medal in the women's gymnastics team event on Tuesday at the Paris Olympics, with stellar performances on all four apparatus.

She had experienced calf pain during the qualifications but seemed to be under no visible discomfort in the team final at the Bercy Arena in Paris, where she competed with her left calf taped.