Under the generous patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the capital, Riyadh, witnessed today, Friday, the opening ceremony of the sixth edition of the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games in the camel racing field in Janadriyah, in an exceptional celebratory scene that brought together 57 countries under the slogan “One Nation.”
His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of the General Sports Authority and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, and His Highness Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Vice President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, witnessed the joyful opening ceremony in the presence of a large official presence led by His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, Governor of the Riyadh Region, and His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, Minister of Sports of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, President of the Sports Federation. For Islamic solidarity.
The ceremony was also witnessed by the Kingdom of Bahrain, His Excellency Mr. Fares Al Kooheji, Secretary General of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, and a number of members of the Board of Directors of the Olympic Committee.
The ceremony’s activities began in the historic Janadriyah Square amidst a large official and public presence, in a dazzling artistic display that combined authenticity and modernity, and told the story of the Kingdom and its bright history, as its sections varied between artistic paintings inspired by the ancient Saudi heritage, light and digital scenes, and artistic displays by drones that reflected the spirit of creativity, belonging, and Islamic unity.
The ceremony included distinguished segments, most notably the parade of participating countries, which formed a sublime humanitarian painting that embodies the session’s message of strengthening brotherhood and solidarity among the peoples of the Islamic world. The parade of countries witnessed an exceptional spectacle represented by the participation of camels, which gave the procession an authentic Arab character that reflects the heritage of the Arabian Peninsula and its ancient culture.
The beauty appeared as it walked steadily in front of the participating delegations, amidst the applause of the audience, in a scene that combines the nobility of the past with the spirit of the present, and embodies pride in the Saudi identity, which combined authenticity and modern organization.
The delegations of the participating countries passed one by one amidst the applause of the attendees, while flags fluttered in a solemn festive atmosphere symbolizing the nation’s unity and cultural diversity.
The ceremony also included traditional musical performances that presented paintings from Saudi folklore with huge artistic participation, in addition to fireworks that lit up the Janadriyah sky in a luxurious conclusion to the ceremony that reflected the Kingdom’s identity and its exceptional organizational ability.
The delegation of the Kingdom of Bahrain participated in the official parade queue, where its ranks were led by the captain of our national volleyball team, Nasser Anan, and the player Dana Al-Khayyat from the table tennis team, carrying the Kingdom’s flag in a festive scene that embodied Bahrain’s honorable position in the Islamic sports arena.
The Bahraini delegation received a warm greeting from the audience, confirming the appreciation and respect that Bahraini sports enjoy in various international forums.
This participation comes in light of the great support enjoyed by the Bahraini sports movement from His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa and the keenness of the Bahrain Olympic Committee to enable Bahraini athletes to participate effectively in the largest continental and international forums.
His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal Al Saud, Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the session, delivered a speech in which he welcomed the Kingdom’s guests from sisterly Islamic countries, praising the extent of the broad participation that embodies the meanings of solidarity and unity among the peoples of the Islamic nation under the slogan “One Nation.”
His Highness stressed that the Kingdom is proud to host this major sporting event, which strengthens the bonds of brotherhood between athletes, and translates the Kingdom’s vision for sports to be a bridge for rapprochement and peace, noting the great support that Saudi sports enjoys from the wise leadership, which has enabled it to host and organize the largest international tournaments with high professionalism.
After that, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, Governor of the Riyadh Region, announced the official opening of the Sixth Islamic Solidarity Games, marking the start of its competitions, amid warm applause from the audience and dazzling festive scenes.
In a related context, the Bahraini delegation continued its arrival to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where the table tennis, judo and weightlifting teams arrived, in preparation for the start of their competitions tomorrow, Saturday, as part of the general program of the tournament. The teams completed their technical preparations under the supervision of the training and administrative staff, amid an atmosphere of optimism and enthusiasm to achieve honorable results befitting the name of Bahrain.
The judo and table tennis teams are scheduled to begin their official participation on Saturday, while the weightlifting team continues to prepare for the start of its competitions on Sunday.
The Sixth Islamic Solidarity Games are a unique sporting and humanitarian event that embodies the values of peace and unity among Islamic countries, as it brings together more than three thousand male and female athletes from 57 countries in competitions extending until the twenty-first of this November in the capital, Riyadh, in a new confirmation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s leading position in hosting major events, and its pivotal role in supporting joint Islamic action through sports as a bridge for rapprochement and unity among peoples.
Our national volleyball team faces its Saudi counterpart in search of its first victory
Tomorrow, Saturday, our national volleyball team will play its second match in the game competitions of the Sixth Islamic Solidarity Games, when it faces its Saudi counterpart at seven o’clock in the evening at the Boulevard Arena in the capital, Riyadh, in a meeting in which our team seeks to achieve victory and remain in the competition circle to reach the podium.
Our team gave a distinguished performance in its opening match against the Iranian team, despite losing by two games to three, as it showed a high technical and physical level that won the approval of the fans and followers, confirming its strong presence as champion of the recent Asian Cup of Nations.
The team concluded its preparations this evening with serious training, during which the technical staff, led by French coach Arnaud Gosserand, focused on addressing some of the technical and tactical aspects that appeared in the first match, in addition to enhancing harmony between the players and improving transmissions and blocking walls in preparation for facing the Saudi team, the home team and the audience.
Members of the technical and administrative staff confirmed that the team enters the match with great ambition and determination to achieve the first victory in the tournament, armed with the team spirit and determination that appeared in the confrontation with Iran, and affirmed their confidence in the players’ ability to appear in an honorable manner befitting the reputation of Bahraini volleyball.
