Riyadh has been chosen to host the first-ever global games for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a week-long event that aims to be the world's largest social sports event. The event is being organized by the Saudi Sports for All Federation and is set to attract more than 70,000 participants from 100 countries, according to Prince Khalid bin Al-Waleed bin Talal, President of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Sports for All Federation. The signing ceremony, which took place on Monday at the Culture Palace in Riyadh, was attended by local and international sports dignitaries.
Saudi Gazette reported that the decision to award Riyadh the event follows Saudi Arabia's winning bid to host the Sports for All 2028 tournament at the 27th conference of The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA) in Slovenia in June 2022. At the signing ceremony, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Minister of Sports, showed gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Crown Prince for their support for sports in the Kingdom, culminating in the hosting of this landmark event in 2028.
The event is designed to allow all segments of society to enjoy the support of the government and private sector for all kinds of sports in the host city. Riyadh is set to welcome athletes and fans from around the world for one of the biggest international events in 2028, in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which aims to promote a healthy and active lifestyle for all its citizens.
