NEOM, the sustainable regional development taking shape in northwest Saudi Arabia, announced on Thursday the NEOM Beach Games 2022 will bring together leading world-class sport events with high-performance athletes from over 25 countries, as the region aims to become a sports hub. The series of major sporting events will launch on October 19 and feature five dynamic sports — kitesurfing, triathlon, 3x3 basketball, beach soccer and mountain biking. NEOM's CEO, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, said, "We are delighted to host the NEOM Beach Games which brings together local and international rights holders for five globally popular sports in one location in Saudi Arabia. "NEOM is a place of unparalleled natural beauty and will be the ideal backdrop for what promises to be a period of exciting competition amongst world-class athletes competing in a variety of challenging sports." The dynamic sports event will commence with world cup kitesurfing over the first five days, closely followed by an Olympic-level competition of a short course triathlon on October 29. Other events to be held include an international 3x3 basketball tournament and a four-day beach soccer competition that will see 12 teams from around the world compete in the intense tournament. In total, NEOM will host over 25 nations over these four sports. The NEOM Beach Games 2022 will conclude on December 9 with the desert mountain biking race which will host 220 male and female riders from around the world for a four-stage event, varying 80-120 kilometers per stage. Jan Paterson, Managing Director of Sport at NEOM, added, "We are excited to be hosting world-class events in NEOM as we aim to develop a sporting hub that will contribute to our evolving sport ecosystem. Partnering with key sporting bodies will strengthen our goals of building a high-performance culture and inspire the next generation of athletes across the region." This event marks yet another major activity as part of NEOM's ambition to host dynamic sports events featuring world-class athletes and organizations. — SG
