Athletes wave to fans during the opening ceremony of the Saudi Games in Riyadh.

RIYADH, Oct 5: Under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and on behalf of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, presided over the opening ceremony of the third edition of the Saudi Games 2024 at "Boulevard Riyadh City." This event, the largest national sporting spectacle, took place in Riyadh.

The ceremony commenced with the royal anthem, followed by a parade of participating athletes and the flags of the Olympic and Paralympic Committees. After the athletes took the sports oath, Prince Abdulaziz officially declared the third edition of the Saudi Games 2024 open, which will run from October 3 to 17, 2024.

The tournament will feature athletes competing in 52 individual and team sports, including seven Paralympic events, ten demonstration sports, and 15 youth sports, with total prize money exceeding 200 million riyals. The Saudi Games aim to empower athletes by offering opportunities for talents across the country to compete, discover potential, and pursue professional goals. Athletes qualified for the event through performance trials and qualifiers.

Competitions will be held at multiple venues, including the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex, which will host events like handball, volleyball, basketball, cycling, bowling, swimming, and triathlon. Paralympic sports like goalball, boccia, weightlifting, and wheelchair basketball will be held at the Paralympic Hall. Riyadh Club will host athletics, Paralympic athletics, futsal, chess, rugby, cricket, darts, squash, and futsal for the deaf. Meanwhile, Boulevard City Stadium will host a variety of sports in five indoor areas, covering Muay Thai, boxing, judo, taekwondo, fencing, gymnastics, MMA, e-sports, and more.

The Fan Zone will feature sports such as 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, climbing, and skateboarding. Camel racing and show jumping will take place at the Saudi Show Jumping Field in Janadriyah, with other competitions spread across various locations like billiards at Qoz Center, karting at Dirab Field, sailing at Jubail Marine Sports Club, shooting at Public Security Shooting Field, tennis at Saudi Tennis Federation Stadium, and golf at Riyadh Golf Club.