Dubai: Saudi Arabia is all set to write a new chapter in its Olympic history with 10 athletes representing the kingdom in Paris.
Saudi athletes will compete in four sports, athletics, equestrian, swimming and taekwondo, with seven men and three women in the delegation to Paris.
Saudi athletes have won a total of four medals in 12 previous games at the Olympics, most recently at Tokyo 2020 when Tarek Hamedi won silver in karate.
Here's a closer look at those looking to add to Saudi Arabia's tally at these Olympic Games and the key talking points surrounding their participation:
Saudi showjumpers out to build on 2012 success
Two of Saudi Arabia's previous four Olympic medals have come in show jumping, with Khaled Al-Eid claiming individual bronze at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and secured by the quartet of Ramzi Al-Duhami, Abdullah Alsharbatli, Kamal Bahamadan, and Prince Abdullah Al-Saud. Team bronze at London 2012.
A full Saudi team has qualified for Paris in showjumping with Al-Duhami and Alsharbatli returning to the fold with Khaled Almobti and Abdulrahman Alrajhi.
Al-Duhami and Ulsarbatli bring a wealth of experience to the team.
Al-Duhami, 52, will be competing in his sixth Olympics, having made his debut in Atlanta 1996.
Alsharbatli, 41, was a six-time Asian Games gold medalist (including team and individual golds in 2023 Hangzhou) and a silver medalist at the 2010 World Championships.
Saudi equestrians are back at the Olympics for the first time since 2012 and will be serious contenders in both the team and individual competitions.
Equestrian Jumping Schedule at Château de Versailles:
August 1 – 12:00 – Team Jumping Qualifier
August 2 – 15:00 – Team Jumping Final
August 5 – 15:00 – Individual Jumping Qualifier
August 6 – 11:00 – Individual Jumping Final
Mashael who made history in the pool
When runner Sarah Attar and judoka Wojdan Shahrakhani participated in London 2012, it was a historic milestone as they became the first women to represent Saudi Arabia at the Olympic Games.
Saudi women have made remarkable strides in the sport since then, and in Paris, 17-year-old Mashael Alaid will do her part to blaze a new trail for her country's women as she becomes the first female swimmer from the kingdom to compete. An Olympic Games.
Alayed was given a universal berth to compete in the 200m freestyle heats – which is equivalent to a wildcard invitation.
Also representing Saudi Arabia in the pool is 16-year-old Zaid Al-Sarraj, the youngest member of the kingdom's delegation and world-ranked in the 100m freestyle.
Swimming schedule at Paris La Défense Arena:
July 28 – 13:00 – Women's 200m Freestyle Heats – Mashael Alaed
July 30 – 12:00 – Men's 100m Freestyle Heats – Zaid Al-Sarraj
Abutaleb could become the state's first female Olympic medalist
She was a bronze medalist at the World Championships, and is ranked as high as No. 4 in the world in her weight class – Dunya Abutaleb is ready for the big stage and has a legitimate chance to become Saudi Arabia's first female Olympic medalist.
The 27-year-old from Riyadh made history by becoming the first Saudi Arabian woman to qualify directly for the Olympics without a wildcard invitation.
She is looking to challenge Olympic 49kg champion Panipak Wongpattankit and Spanish world No. 1 and Tokyo silver medalist Adriana Cerezo Iglesias in her category.
Taekwondo Schedule at Grand Palace:
August 7 – Starting from 10:00 – Women -49 kg
The Saudi flag was hoisted at the track and field
Three Saudis will compete in the athletics event in Paris and make their Olympic debut.
Mohamed Dauda Tolo booked his place in the shot put event at Paris 2024 after improving his Asian record of 20.66m to 21.80m from last month's meet in Madrid.
Tolo, 23, won a silver medal at last year's Asian Games in Hangzhou and arrived in the French capital with the 10th best distance in the shot put this season.
Hussain Al-Hijam joins the squad in the field events and will compete in the pole vault in Paris.
The 26-year-old, who finished fourth in the pole vault at the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing, won a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year and a silver medal at the Asian Championships in Bangkok.
His personal best is 5.70m and season's best is 5.62m.
Hiba Mohammed is the 100m and 200m national record holder and will be the only female representative for Saudi Arabia in athletics.
The 23-year-old sprinter was given a wildcard for the 100m in Paris and will be looking to improve on her personal best time of 12.24 seconds.
Athletics schedule at Stade de France:
August 2 – 11:35 – Women's 100m preliminary round – Hibah Mohammed
August 2 – 21:10 – Men's Shot Put Qualification – Mohammed Dauda Tolo
August 3 – 11:10 – Men's Pole Vault Qualification – Hussain Al-Hizam
