The opening ceremony of the 2023 Saudi Games marked the commencement of the largest athletic event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, featuring more than 6000 athletes participating in 53 events. Hosted at Riyadh’s King Fahad International Stadium, the ceremony beautifully showcased the distinctive Saudi culture.
Leading the opening ceremony was HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, President of the Olympic and Paralympic Committees and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Sports who brought forth the wishes of His Majesty King Salman and HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, emphasizing the significance of the Saudi Games in alignment with Saudi’s Vision 2030.
The athletes received a heartening reception as they walked into the stadium, greeted with a standing ovation from the local audience and distinguished guests, including representatives from the International Olympic Committee, Olympic Council of Asia, Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, European Olympic Committees, International Paralympic Committee, and more.
The AIMS family, represented by a large delegation including President Stephan Fox and Vice President Dr. Julie Gabriel, expressed gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its commendable efforts in promoting inclusion and gender equality. Special appreciation was extended to HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal Al Saud and the entire Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee team on behalf of AIMS and its members.
The event is scheduled to continue until the 10th of December, following the recent success of the World Combat Games hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia just three weeks ago.