Everything you need to know about Saudi Games 2024

Boxing, badminton and baloot – inside the country’s biggest national sporting event.

On your marks, get set, Saudi. Saudi Games 2024, the Kingdom’s most significant national sporting event, is ready to go full steam ahead. The tournament takes place in Riyadh from 3 to 17 October, and celebrates sporting talent across the country. 

Saudi Games 2024 is welcoming an impressive 6,000 athletes, which represent more than 200 clubs in the country. In total, there are 53 individual and team events, including five para-sports. The games are all part of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince’s Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to increase participation in society. 

As the country’s own version of the Olympics, the tournament showcases long-established as well as unexpected sports. Categories include triathlon, tennis, table tennis, and taekwondo, as well as chess, skateboarding, and, in Saudi style, e-sports. Plus, the popular Saudi Arabian card game baloot – similar to the French balote, it sees players compete to win tricks. 

Additional sports include padel, cycling, bowling, karting, weightlifting, wrestling, darts, badminton; Thai boxing (Muay Thai); billiards, squash, sailing, climbing and athletics.

It’s not just medals up for grabs, but also prize money. The SAR 200 million prize money is distributed among winners, as gold medallists receive up to SAR 1 million in prizes as part of the Senior Competition and up to SAR 100,000 in the Youth Competition.

And sports are not all that’s happening at the Saudi Games. You can expect plenty of live entertainment as well. Following performances by DJ Snake and David Guetta at last year’s games, 2024’s lineup is set to deliver the same level of excitement and action-packed thrills.

Saudi Games have become a significant fixture on the Kingdom’s sports calendar, attracting athletes from across the country. It stands as a testament to Saudi Arabia’s dedication to sports and recreation. With each edition — making 2024 the third year in running — it continues to inspire athletes and showcase the best of what Saudi Arabia has to offer.

Saudi Games 2024 ticket details have not yet been released. Check in with FACT for the latest information. 

GO: Visit https://saudigames.sa for more information.