Saudi Sarah Attar who represented the Kingdom in the 2012 Olympics.
With lockdown measures still underway and fresh initiatives being launched across the globe in an attempt to halt the spread of COVID-19, many nations have already begun loosening restrictions and are looking ahead towards a post-coronavirus era. Saudi Arabia is one of these countries that has recently started exploring various ways on returning to a more regular pace of life, a main one being the resumption of professional sporting activities.
This week, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Sports announced that, starting June 21, professional sports will be back in full swing, after being put on hold since March 15 of this year. The ministry explained in an official statement carried by Saudi Press Agency that “the decision was taken after coordination with the specialized committee to follow up on the developments pertaining to coronavirus in the Kingdom. It is now up to sports federations to specify dates for the resumption of competitions from Aug. 4 onward with a continued ban on public attendance.”
Here's what Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud, Minister of Sports has to say about the Dakar in his home country @AbdulazizTF @gsaksa_en @gsaksa #Dakar2021 pic.twitter.com/dfRT6ldzHR
— Ministry of Sport (@gsaksa_en) June 11, 2020
In preparation for upcoming competitions and trainings, the country’s Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal has announced the formation of a special committee that will be responsible for overseeing, supervising, and evaluating the entire reintroduction process. In addition, the ministry will work closely with various sports federations and the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee to ensure that preventive measures are clearly defined and implemented.
As Saudi Arabia makes its return to the world of sports, it has also announced that Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, who is the first woman to be appointed as the ambassador of Saudi Arabia in the United States, has been nominated to represent the country at the International Olympic Committee.
Just In: The International #Olympics Committee (IOC) Executive Board has nominated HRH Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud as a new member of the IOC. HRH @RBAlSaud has long been leading the charge for gender inclusivity in sports for #KSA, making her the perfect candidate. pic.twitter.com/2FAapOM7oY
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) June 10, 2020
To mark this milestone occasion, the Princess took to Twitter and shared a few tweets regarding her nomination: “I am humbled by the IOC Election Committee's nomination, and thrilled over their conscious decision to elect 3 women out of 5 candidates to the IOC's Executive Board Great progress has been made around the world in promoting greater access to sport for women and girls, and ensuring their equal participation in sports. I remain committed to these principles, and look forward to building on the IOC's efforts in this respect.”
