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Riyadh to host Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in 2025

The games join a long list of upcoming sporting events in the capital

by Afrah Bari

We have some exciting news. Riyadh has won a bid to host the seventh Asian and Martial Arts Games, which means that the championships will be coming to the Saudi capital. In a ceremony taking place in Dubai, the Olympic Council of Asia awarded Riyadh the 2025 games.

The very first event of this kind was held in Incheon, South Korea in 2013. This year, the event was supposed to be held in Thailand but was postponed to 2023 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Riyadh will be breaking new ground, as it will be the first city to host the games in the entire Middle East.

At a press conference, the Minister of Sports said, “Thanks to the unlimited support of our leadership and the follow-up and acuity of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s sports will host several international sporting events. As can be seen in, we have taken a step forward globally, especially at the Asian Games 2034.”

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The Minister of Sports also added, “This is in addition to the generous support, which resulted in the inauguration of an SR2.6 billion strategy to support sports federations, and now winning, for the first time in the history of the Kingdom, the bid to host the Asian Games for Indoor and Martial Arts 2025.”

Saudi Arabia is also bidding to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. Riyadh will also be hosting the World Combat Games in 2023. Riyadh is warming up and well on its way to becoming a sporting capital. The capital is set to host the Asian Games 2034, which means it will hold two global sporting events in the next few years.

Looking for more awesome events? Check out our latest updates on things to do in Riyadh here.