Saudi Arabia’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal on Sunday launched the Kingdom’s official campaign to help secure enough votes from members of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to host the 21st Asian Games in 2030, according to reports.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki, who is also chairman of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC), formally submitted the country’s application bid to the governing body, nominating Riyadh to stage the event.
Saudi Arabia’s bid logo for the 2030 Asian Games.
“As a woman, I also know the opportunity that this bid represents for the future of generations of young girls…Since 2010, the numbers of female participants have grown across a wide range of sports. Today, 80 per cent of the country’s federations include female members,” the Ambassador said. “It is important that over the next 10 years, we continue this progress, with more female athletes and opportunities for women to participate economically in our growing sports ecosystem.”
“Imagine the impact of the Asian Games in driving forward this transformation.”
As part of the bid, Saudi Arabia rolled out a new logo and said hosting the event would be a “driving force in the transformation of the city and Saudi society.” Riyadh has opted for the slogan “Transforming the Future,” with its logo a map of the Kingdom with sports pictograms included inside.
Saudi Arabia’s capital is battling against Doha, Qatar for the right to stage the flagship Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) event.
“The bid promises a new model for the Asian Games in a new era for the Kingdom – ultra-modern yet steeped in history, ambitious but realistic, visually stunning but environmentally-conscious,” a statement said following a video launch on YouTube.
“It would deliver a vibrant, world-class Games experience, whilst also being a driving force in the transformation of the city and Saudi society.”
