RIYADH — The Saudi capital of Riyadh witnessed on Sunday the launch of a torch relay for the Saudi Games 2022. The relay commences just weeks before the debut of the Kingdom’s most significant national sporting event.

Traveling 3,500 kilometers across the country for a total of 22 days, the torch relay’s mission is to promote the positive values ​​of the Saudi Games 2022 and convey peace and friendship to residents and visitors alike throughout its journey.

Sunday’s launch ceremony was attended by Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, Vice President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Director of the Saudi Games, and Princess Dilayl Bint Nahar Al Saud, deputy director of the Saudi Games.

Also in attendance were members of the Supreme Organizing Committee for the Saudi Games, in addition to a host of sports and social personalities.

During the event, Prince Fahd expressed his pride in launching the torch relay, stressing the values of peace and friendship synonymous with the Olympic Games that the torch embodies. He added that he hoped the impending journey would spread messages of hope, warmth, and unity, encouraging citizens and residents to participate in the tournament. He stressed that the Saudi Games 2022 marks a qualitative leap in the Kingdom’s sporting history, one that will undoubtedly change the course of the future of sports in the nation and region.

He stated that the Saudi Games 2022 would not have been possible without the vision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, or the unlimited support of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in line with the objectives of the Vision 2030, and the continuous follow-up by Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal, Minister of Sports, President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the Games.

Prince Fahd said: “Our mission is to inspire our country, particularly future generations of the Kingdom’s youth, to achieve sporting excellence at all levels – locally, regionally and worldwide. The Saudi Games brings us closer toward establishing a generation capable of reaching the Olympic Games by motivating and encouraging sporting clubs and federations to foster future competitors.”

Princess Dilayl stressed the importance of the Games in unearthing hidden talents and promoting the values of sport and competition in the Kingdom to increase sports’ popularity. She also emphasized that Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event organized by the Kingdom and will have a lasting impact on Saudi youth and the Saudi sporting sector.

Torch relay journey

The Saudi Games 2022 torch relay commenced from the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee headquarters in Riyadh before moving on to Al Madinah Al Munawara, followed by Tabuk, NEOM, Al Jowf Province, Al-Shola, the Northern Borders Province, Ha’il, and the Qassim region.

By 24 September 2022, the relay will have reached the Eastern Province, stopping by Dhahran, Al-Khobar, and Dammam, before heading to Al-Ahsa Governorate, Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Taif, Al-Baha, and Asir region. It then travels to Jazan, followed by the Najran region, Al-Ula, and back to Riyadh. The torch relay will conclude on 10 October in Al-Dir’iyyah Governorate.

The torch will visit some of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent cultural and historical attractions by traveling on a route that features 57 famous landmarks in 13 regions.

Carrying the torch across the Kingdom will be athletes and other well-known personalities doing so either on foot or using a means of transport, such as a vehicle or a horse. Those involved in carrying the torch are known for their outstanding contributions to sports, including individual achievements and championships.

Saudi Games 2022

The Saudi Games 2022 will see more than 6,000 athletes and 2,000 technical and administrative staff representing more than 200 clubs from across the Kingdom. The Games will feature 45 individual and team events, including five para-sports competitions.

Athletes will not only be competing for medals but also for the most significant prizes in the history of sport in the region, with a total of more than SR200 million prize money set to be distributed. Each gold medal winner will receive SR1 million, silver medalists receive SR300,000, and bronze winners earn SR100,000.